Chapter 1: School Angel

 

 

 

Chapter 1: School Angel

 

“GOOD day.”

“Good day. Isn’t this weather lovely?”

Such greetings filled the beautiful April morning air. There was a gentle spring breeze and bright sunbeams danced gently through the tree leaves. The sunny voices of schoolgirls were a delight to the ears as they echoed throughout Saikai Private High School for Girls.

The young ladies smoothly slid from an endless procession of luxury vehicles that stopped in front of the student entrance. Moving with grace as they spoke with ladylike ease, each one hailed from the crème de la crème of prestigious families.

Pick up and drop off was generally restricted to outside the front gate at most schools. However, the distance between the gate and the main building was abnormally long here. Taking into account the fact such delicate flowers couldn’t be forced to walk such a great distance, a two-lane road was paved in front of the student entrance specifically for pick up and drop off.

The white school building was reminiscent of a foreign mansion. While famous as a school for blue-blooded ladies, it was also known for its intense academic curriculum that resulted in high test scores. It was so highly respected that people claimed the world would be an oyster for any of its alumni and the prestigious families they belonged.

The drop off zone was bright and cheerful with the sound of laughter filling the air like the singsong chirping of birds. But the moment a certain car pulled into the pathway leading to the drop off, that joyful atmosphere suddenly changed as tension spread throughout the crowd.

It was a beautifully lustrous obsidian black Mercedes Benz. When the vehicle smoothly eased to a stop, everyone around it was frozen in place. A young man stepped out of the driver’s seat. A chorus of something resembling sighs briefly rose from the schoolgirls the moment their eyes fell upon him, but their attention swiftly shifted to the backseat.

The young man opened the rear passenger door and offered his right hand to the girl sitting inside. She rested her right hand upon his, accepting his assistance as she gracefully slid out of the car.

“Good day, Miss Satsuki!” piped a young lady standing nearby, excited she got to see Satsuki.

In return, Satsuki offered the young lady one of her renowned “angelic smiles” and replied, “Good day to you, too.”

The school uniform was an adorable sailor dress with a dark gray and pink checkered bowtie neckerchief. Not only did the dickey go all of the way up to the collarbone, the slightly flared hem extended clear down to the knee. The dress was designed to reveal as little skin as possible.

Satsuki was on her third year wearing that somewhat stoic uniform for Sakai Private High School for Girls. After maintaining stellar grades that put her leagues above her peers and displaying mastery of social etiquette, she attained the position of High School Student Council President this spring.

“If you’ll excuse me, Miss, I shall go park the car,” Shindo said while still holding Satsuki’s hand. In hopes to reassure the young lady looking at him somewhat apprehensively, he added with a smile “From there, I will be on standby in your private suite. I may stop by your classroom as well. If you have need of me while I’m not present, please feel free to call for me.”

“You don’t have to go to the office today?” she asked.

“No, I did not receive any such instructions from the master,” Shindo answered. He looked as if he were folding himself in half as he bent into a deep bow before kissing the top of Satsuki’s hand. “I will be forever at your side...”

“Good.”

Touched sighs ushered from the surrounding girls watching the scene reminiscent of a prince and princess from fairy tales unfold. Why, a portion of the school’s students secretly harbored feelings for Shindo. The desire to see him drove some to wait each morning for Satsuki’s personal car to roll up.

With her looks, personality, and prestigious lineage, Satsuki was always loved by those around her. Serving as the retainer at the beck and call of this ideal heiress was the very foundation of how others viewed Shindo. On top of his good looks, he was a perfect gentleman with Satsuki. The way he served her was just like a knight serving his princess. Compounded by the fact this was an all-girls school, there was no way the hearts of some hormonal girls wouldn’t flutter over such a dashing figure.

“Honestly, Miss Satsuki is always so beautiful,” one girl said. Gah, I could just scream. I feel like I really am insignificant with Little Miss Perfect in my class.

“Not only can she do anything, she’s also nice. I wish I could be like her,” said another girl. Isn’t it all just an act? I bet she’s a real bitch at home...

“And she’s blessed with such an outstanding butler. I truly am jealous,” chimed a third. He’s seriously just a butler? And nothing more?

“It must be wonderful to have such an amazing person look after her 24 hours a day. She must feel like a princess!” exclaimed another. They’re together 24/7... People seriously believe they aren’t doing things?

They may hail from wealthy families, but they were still teenage girls. Piggybacking on the rumors, indecent ideas began to swirl around their heads.

“Miss,” Shindo called. Catching the disagreeable expression that briefly flashed across Satsuki’s face, Shindo figured she read the minds of the surrounding students. Looking her in the eye, he cut his right thumb straight across his chest. It meant “close the door to your heart.”

Shindo used this simple hand motion many times since she was little. Human “thoughts” would flow into Satsuki, as would the “emotions” of plants and animals. She could see a person’s true nature and intent whether she wanted to or not.

Shindo always told Satsuki to close the door to her heart whenever she seemed distraught by the things she perceived... It was his way of sheltering her from the vile thoughts of others. He was constantly telling her there was no need to suffer over their petty foolishness.

“I know...” Satsuki whispered quietly and offered him a faint smile before closing the door to her heart that could slip back open if she let her guard down for a second. Perhaps due to the way she described opening and closing her third eye as a “door,” she felt like she could hear a door slamming in the back of her ears when she closed the door to her heart. It was actually somewhat amusing.

Filled with relief upon seeing Satsuki smile, Shindo offered her a bow and hopped into the car. After watching him drive away, Satsuki turned to enter the school building, but someone called out to her before she had a chance to go inside.

“Good day, Miss Tsujikawa,” the young lady greeted in a somewhat languid voice. Her words weren’t drawn out in the eloquent speech of a proper lady. She spoke in a slow, sensual voice.

The teenager currently sported a perm of large barrel curls. She must have lightly applied some makeup, for her lips shimmered red. If Satsuki was an elegant beauty with an air of kindness, the girl who just called out to her was a willful beauty wafting airs of feminine sensuality...

“Good day to you as well, Miss Narusawa,” Satsuki said, returning the greeting with a smile.

When Satsuki offered her salutations, a man in his mid-twenties wearing a suit bowed to her from his position behind the girl she called “Miss Narusawa.” The girl was Satsuki Narusawa, the daughter of the president of Narusawa Holdings and Satsuki’s classmate. Due to sharing the name “Satsuki,” they referred to one another by their last names. While not particularly close, they had multiple things in common, from sharing the same name to keeping an attendant at their beck and call. As a result, the occasion to talk presented itself frequently.

“Where is Mr. Shindo? Isn’t he with you?” Narusawa asked.

“He left to park the car... Oh, don’t tell me you’re here to see Shindo!” Satsuki said somewhat teasingly, making Narusawa heave an over-exaggerated sigh.

“I most certainly am. I was hoping to see him... I only hurried over here because I thought it was about time for you to be arriving... What a shame,” Narusawa griped.

“You shouldn’t let your eyes wander to my attendant when you already have such a wonderful attendant in your service, Miss Narusawa,” chided Satsuki. “Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Kurihara?”

The man identified as Kurihara seemed somewhat surprised to hear Satsuki refer to him by name, but quickly recovered with a happy smile as he lowered his head in a bow. “Hearing you speak so highly of me is an honor greater than I deserve, Miss Tsujikawa.”

“Jeez, Kurihara! You look simply elated!”

“Please don’t tease me, Miss Satsuki,” he responded with a troubled smile. She was teasing him for openly taking pleasure in receiving a compliment from another before his young mistress.

Serving as Satsuki Narusawa’s attendant, the overall handsome Tadayuki Kurihara came across somewhat cute when he smiled. Unlike how Shindo’s role as retainer was built upon a perfect master-servant hierarchy in which he stayed by Satsuki and managed all fronts of her personal life, Kurihara was simply fulfilling his job as “attendant.”

In a sense, Kurihara was essentially meant to play the role of “enabler” or “tagalong.” Currently twenty-seven, he began working for Narusawa three years ago. Narusawa loved how he bleached the overgrown mop of hair reaching to his shoulders to the point it was practically blond. He wore diamond studs in the two earring holes punched in one ear.

With his wild looks, Kurihara was a perfect match for the flamboyant beauty, Narusawa. It almost seemed like he was just another accessory for her to tote around.

“You must be elated! Hearing Miss Tsujikawa call you ‘wonderful’ just made your day, didn’t it?” Narusawa teased.

“Miss Satsuki...” Kurihara groaned, truly troubled by Narusawa’s persistent teasing.

Giggling, Satsuki decided it was time to offer Kurihara some assistance. “Don’t give him too much of a hard time. I’m starting to feel sorry for him.”

“If you say so, Miss Tsujikawa,” Narukawa replied and shot Kurihara a dirty look.

Grateful that Narusawa appeared willing to let the matter drop for the time being, Kurihara turned toward Satsuki and slightly bowed his head.

“Well, I have some errands to address in the Student Council Room, so if you’ll excuse me,” Satsuki excused herself, casually waving before heading toward the school building. Underclassmen and fellow third years continued to wish her good morning even after she entered the school. Satsuki warmly received their greetings and offered her own in return as she disappeared from the entry.

“She truly is a beautiful young lady,” Narusawa spat in a whisper. “She has the best reputation and lineage... She really is the crème-de-la-crème...” She sounded completely different from when she spoke with Satsuki mere seconds ago. Her voice held a spiteful tone.

Darting her eyes up at Kurihara, she asked meaningfully “...Don’t you want her, Kurihara...?” with a bemused expression upon her face.

With narrowed eyes, he envisioned Satsuki where she had vanished from his field of vision. “She’s a completely different type than you... I’d love to have my way with her...” he admitted. Unable to suppress his desire, his mouth twisted vulgarly. Attendant and mistress were equally vile.

All the while, Satsuki was ignorant of the crude thoughts directed at her with the door to her heart closed...

***

“THIS should do it,” Satsuki declared with her arms crossed as she sized up the pile of thick books stacked on the desk before her.

They were photo-books about the art of flower arranging. She needed study materials for the school flower arrangement exhibition, and just finished selecting these books at the library. What the selection lacked in quantity, the four volumes made up in size—each a large coffee-table book with thick, glossy paper. Simply hauling each volume to the desk proved arduous in its own right.

Satsuki tilted her head to one side. I wonder where Shindo could be...

She needed to transport these materials to the Student Council Room. She originally intended to ask Shindo to carry them, but he wasn’t with her at the moment. He usually stopped by the classroom to check on her before the afternoon announcements, which were essentially allotted time as a short homeroom class. But she told him to wait in her private suite since she had “Student Council work.”

I wonder if he is waiting in my private suite... Deciding to find out, Satsuki slightly narrowed her eyes... A sound akin to the crackle of snow on TV resounded in her head.

She slowly slid open her third eye, which differed from her physical eyes... Scenery that expanded beyond her line of sight filled her mind. She found Shindo’s mind near where she expected.

***

“WANT one?” Shimizu, a man nearing forty, pulled out a silver cigarette case, flipped it open, and offered a thin cigar.

Shindo was about to turn down the offer, but the man next to him jumped in before he could. “Don’t waste your breath. Shindo here doesn’t smoke, not even cigars,” informed the middle-aged man, Matsunaga. His thin, short frame burst with energy.

“Really? And here I thought most young men smoked,” Shimizu assumed as he closed the cigarette case.

Shindo smiled genially as he brought the coffee cup to his lips. “I would hate for the smell to spread from me to the little lady,” he explained.

“Do you drink?”

“Only for social occasions. I couldn’t turn down the master or an important client if they offered me a drink,” Shindo answered.

“But you normally don’t?” Shimizu pushed.

“I might have a sip every once in a while to help me sleep. But I would never live it down if I made the Miss stink of alcohol the next day.”

“So you hold back on that for her as well?”

“Of course,” Shindo replied with a smile. There wasn’t so much as a hint of dissatisfaction or hesitancy in his answer.

Not only was Shimizu stunned, but also impressed. He personally loved cigars and the bottle. Why, he was convinced all men loved them. It would have been unbearable if he was told to abstain from them for his mistress. He had no doubt he would sneak it behind her back.

At the end of the fifth floor of Saikai Private High School for Girls, there was a large room known as the Guardian’s Lounge. It was the designated waiting area for guardians who came to pick up the girls for early dismissal or after school. However, their guardians hardly ever utilized the facility. Instead, it primarily served as a waiting room or lounge for the students’ personal chauffeurs and attendants.

While the term “lounge” might give a Spartan impression, a cushy rug was spread across the floor along with a sofa and several armchairs surrounding a table. To keep them entertained, the bookcases were amply stocked.

The coffee Shindo was currently drinking came from a self-serve coffee maker that invited a relaxing atmosphere. This space was where the majority of the chauffeurs and such in service of the young ladies attending this school came to shoot the breeze.

Shindo hardly ever dropped by. Tsujikawa Corporation exercised its influence over the school, allowing him to remain with Satsuki on school grounds throughout the day as her retainer. The school allotted her a private suite on the fifth floor, much like this lounge. Shindo usually spent his days there, but would occasionally make an appearance in this common room. Viewing interacting with others as a form of collecting information proved beneficial to the Tsujikawa family, and therefore beneficial to Satsuki.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Mr. Shindo, you truly are devoted to your little miss!” Matsunaga belted, slapping Shindo on the back. It was painfully obvious that Shindo was a good foot taller than the man. Matsunaga thought he gave Shindo a hardy slap, but not only did it fail to so much as make the younger man budge, it didn’t even make the coffee in his hand ripple.

“Unlike us, he’s an attendant. And a retainer at that, right? The lad must constantly put his charge first and forefront,” Matsunaga explained to Shimizu, who stared admiringly at Shindo, before stealing a quick look at his watch. It was getting close to when he was instructed to have the car ready.

Shimizu and Matsunaga both served as chauffeurs. In fact, the majority of employees who came to this room were either chauffeurs or drivers. There were only a handful of attendants who spent the entire day on school grounds.

The girl whom Matsunaga chauffeured was a third year like Satsuki. With such a long track record, he stood on familiar terms with Shindo. Shimizu, on the other hand, was the driver for a first-year girl who just enrolled this spring. This was only his second or third time speaking with Shindo.

“But I get where you’re coming from. I think I’d want to do anything for my client if she was such a pretty, sweet little thing,” Shimizu opined as memories of the brief glimpses he caught of Satsuki every morning came to mind. The heiress he dropped off and picked up on a daily basis was lovely in her own right, but it was depressing how she paled before Satsuki.

“I bet a youngster like you is eating this up, eh? It must be great to spend every waking moment with such an adorable sweetheart,” Shimizu continued with something of a suggestive tone in his voice. Shindo downed the rest of his coffee and shot a quick look at the man.

“She sure is quite the looker. I was blown away when I first saw her, even though I’d heard the rumors. Don’t they say she’s as ‘delicate as a flower; beautiful as an angel’? Well, they got that right... I swear, it’d be any man’s dream come true to serve a babe like her!”

“...Thank you,” Shindo said, expressing gratitude as a retainer for how Shimizu praised Satsuki. Yet part of him felt that if she were present, her heart would only be pained by the perverse thoughts that managed to slip through.

***

“...HE’S in the middle of socializing...” Satsuki whispered to herself as she closed her third eye.

Satsuki fully understood that networking was an important job in and of itself. Despite that fact, she generally took the attitude “When I say come, you come running!” Yet today she was of a mind to let Shindo spread his wings.

“...I’ll have to carry these myself.” She slipped her hands under the mountain of books stacked four high.

It was awfully heavy. Even if she managed to carry the stack for a while, there was no way she could hold it for long. After briefly deliberating over her dilemma, her lips curled into a mischievous smile. This was a grin only Shindo knew.

“Sorry, Shindo!” she apologized in a cute, quiet voice before directing her concentration to her hands under the books.

The moment she did, the books began to levitate a fraction of an inch—no, the breadth of a sheet of paper—above her hands...

“Great! I should be able to carry them now,” Satsuki exclaimed and started out.

While the books were naturally weightless to Satsuki, it would look as if she were carrying them to anyone who saw her. Everyone in the library who saw her leaving gawked in surprise. Each of the four books was heavy in its own right. Seeing as she was carrying all four at once, the shocked stares she earned were warranted.

“Miss Tsujikawa! I’ll deliver those to you later! Please don’t strain yourself!” the librarian fussed as he frantically tried to get around the front counter to help Satsuki.

But Satsuki simply offered him one of her “angelic smiles” and replied, “No, thank you. I’m quite all right.”

It wasn’t as though she was actually carrying the books. Satsuki imagined she could handle the load on her own just fine. She exited the library and proceeded down the corridor that connected the annex building she was in to the school’s main building.

“I bet Shindo will have a fit if he sees this,” Satsuki whispered somewhat excitedly to herself. She giggled as she imagined how he might react.

As a rule of thumb, Shindo did not approve of Satsuki using her powers. Of course, he made allowances, such as the door to her heart, which would open if she let her guard down. While there was no harm in playing with the flowers and trees at the mansion, he was afraid she would grow accustomed to relying on her powers if she used them in her daily life. It was a point he had stressed since she was a little girl. If he caught her abusing her powers like this, he would undoubtedly throw a fit.

“He has a surprisingly short fuse,” Satsuki said to herself with a giggle as she walked along the corridor, eager to see his reaction. But someone else caught her first!

“What do you think you’re doing, Miss Tsujikawa?!” a surprised voice cried out. The owner of the voice quickly snatched the books out of Satsuki’s arms.

“These things weigh a ton! What if you hurt your fingers carrying them?!” he pushed. He drew his face close to hers, but instead of angry, it looked terribly concerned.

“M-Mr...Kurihara?” she choked. It was Satsuki Narusawa’s attendant, Tadayuki Kurihara.

Noticing Satsuki batting her eyes in surprise, Kurihara must have realized he lost his composure for he coughed to clear his throat. “...A young lady such as yourself shouldn’t carry these heavy books...”

It didn’t look like Narusawa was nearby. In which case, he was probably on his way to the classroom to get her.

“I swear, you nearly gave me a heart attack...”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you...” Satsuki apologized.

“Where is Mr. Shindo? It’s his job to do this sort of thing for you,” Kurihara said in an accusatory tone.

Before the conversation could go any further, Shindo came hurrying down the corridor from the direction of the main building. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

Angrily dumping the books he had snatched from Satsuki into Shindo’s arms, he yelled, “Your precious charge was carrying these bricks! Can you believe it?! Where the hell did you wander off to?! Be more careful!”

Shindo looked back and forth between the books, which seemed too heavy for Satsuki to carry and the unusually guilty young lady. His expression grew apologetic as he turned to face Kurihara. “I’m sorry. It would appear I came a little late... I will take over from here.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just do your job!” Kurihara snipped, sounding somewhat disappointed. He faced Satsuki with his head lowered in a bow. “If you’ll pardon me, Miss Tsujikawa.”

“Of course. Thank you, and I’m sorry, Mr. Kurihara,” Satsuki replied.

“Think nothing of it.” Upon lifting his head, he offered her a big grin. Then he returned to the main school building.

“...Miss...” Shindo said, his voice snapping Satsuki from the daze she had fallen into while watching Kurihara’s back fade into the distance.

I-Is he mad?!

“You couldn’t possibly carry all of these yourself, now could you? ...You used that, didn’t you?” he accused.

She was busted... Shindo wouldn’t fail to notice what she did. It was obvious Satsuki used her powers.

“Uh... Shindo, look...” Satsuki quickly stole a look at him through her lashes. Shindo was crossly looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

“Shindo...it looked like you were taking a break, so I figured you wouldn’t mind if I used it over something this trivial...” she said in an attempt to explain herself.

“So you ‘saw’ me?” Shindo asked.

“Well...yes...”

“Haven’t I told you time and again not to do that in your everyday life?”

“Are you angry?” Satsuki checked.

“Do you want me to get angry?” he asked back.

...Yes. In her mind, Satsuki slightly nodded.

 

***

“AH…”

“...Miss Satsuki...people outside are going to hear you...” Kurihara admonished his charge from where he finished toweling himself off after a hot shower. They were in Satsuki Narusawa’s private suite.

Not bothering to listen, Narusawa stretched from where she lay enjoying their after-sex bliss. None would believe the two were Satsuki Narusawa and her attendant, Tadayuki Kurihara.

“Silly... N-No one can hear a...THING!”

“Whatever am I going to do with you...?” Kurihara asked. He tossed aside his towel and began to dress; all the while a devious smirk split his face.

All of the private suites were soundproof, so there was indeed no fear of someone outside overhearing the sounds that were issued by either. Ever since Kurihara signed on as Narusawa’s attendant three years ago, they had shared many physical moments extending beyond the bounds of their master-servant relationship. It wasn’t as though either particularly cared for the other. Narusawa wanted to have sex, so Kurihara humored her. It was as simple as that.

After parting ways with Satsuki Tsujikawa in the hall, Kurihara returned to the Narusawa private suite. Seeing the girl in her suite, he flung her onto the sofa and forced himself on her. It was strangely grating how Shindo appeared right when he was in the middle of talking to Tsujikawa.

“Couldn’t you try to act more reserved and ladylike...?” he complained.

She smiled belittlingly from the couch as she looked up at him. “Like the Tsujikawa princess?”

“Bingo!” he answered. Kurihara painted a picture of Tsujikawa in his mind as he found the mere idea of the prim princess to be turning him on again. Just as Narusawa began to stand, he dropped his towel and pushed her aggressively back into the couch.

“Ahhhhh! That hurt, you brute!”

“Isn’t that how you like it? Nice and rough?!”

“Heh heh...! If you’re rough with her, Little Miss Tsujikawa will hate you!” Narusawa retorted.

“Please! What would you know? I bet that retainer gives her plenty of loving every damn day!” Kurihara argued.

“Oh, how lovely! I wish he’d give me some loving, too,” Narusawa purred. She clutched onto Kurihara as he positioned himself over her once again. With a lewd expression on her face, she looked up at the annoyed man and smirked. “Say, don’t you want to make the angel yours...? I’d be willing to lend you a hand...”

His echoing moans were all the answer she needed as plots began to swirl in her lust addled mind.

***

“MISS, it’s past your bedtime.”

“Forget it!”

Shindo heaved a sigh in defeat over Satsuki’s anticipated response. Bluntly put, not once in her nigh eighteen years of life had she ever obediently replied, “Okay, I’ll go to bed.” Without a lick of effort, he could imagine the next words that would tumble out of her mouth.

“I can’t help it! I’m not sleepy,” she explained. Just as he predicted.

How many times had Shindo heard this line since she was little? And fallen for it? As that thought struck him, Shindo couldn’t help but ask himself, Is it my fault Satsuki has grown up so demanding?

But this was the man who held Satsuki’s peace and happiness with a higher priority over the needs of others, let alone his own. He didn’t feel the least bit guilty, although spoiling her occasionally led to somewhat troubling situations. As was the case now...

“What? Are you saying you have something more important to do than spend time with me?” Satsuki asked somewhat sourly as she glared at Shindo.

A silky A-line nightgown quietly flowed down to her ankles. This single layer of material was the sole thing covering Satsuki’s vulnerable skin. For the icing on the cake, she was on the sofa holding one of its pillows against her chest. And as the cherry on top, this wasn’t her room, but Shindo’s! Not only had Satsuki waltzed right into a grown man’s room, she failed to cover her exposed flesh with so much as a shawl, let alone a robe.

If said by a little girl, everything out of her mouth thus far would make him wonder, “Does she want to play?” It would have come across as cute. But it held a completely different nuance when said by a young lady in her negligee about to turn eighteen. If she did this with anyone other than Shindo, it would have led to an irreparable mistake.

“I still have to finish the work assigned by the master. I was planning to start on it after you went to bed...” Shindo explained. He had taken Satsuki to her bedroom and turned out the lights merely fifteen minutes ago.

Upon returning to his room, he prepared to attend to his work-related assignments. He tossed his jacket and necktie on the sofa back, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves... At which point, the “warning lamp” flashed on.

Shindo not only served as Satsuki’s retainer, but also her bodyguard. As a result, he was assigned a room next to Satsuki’s in order to be nearby at all times. Ever since he began serving as her retainer twelve years ago, he was always close... Always.

For the times Shindo was alone in his room, such as when Satsuki was asleep, a “warning lamp” attached to the top of his desk would illuminate if her door opened. That way he would know immediately if anything was amiss.

But in all her nearly eighteen years, the light never once turned on due to an intruder opening the door. After the ten o’clock bedtime Shindo set for Satsuki passed, she would slip out of bed and make her way to his neighboring room... Those were the only times the light ever went off.

“Hmmm...” Satsuki hummed, her adorable face grimacing in mild dissatisfaction before turning to look at the top of Shindo’s desk. Two laptops were turned on. There were also mountains of files.

The moment she saw his desk, the look of “mild dissatisfaction” turned into “extreme dissatisfaction.” Furrowing her brow, she began to wring the pillow formerly cradled in her arms.

“Miss?!” Acute to the aura forming around Satsuki, Shindo began to round on her, but it was too late. She already unleashed her fury.

Smack! Pssh! The laptops suddenly slammed shut! And the mountains of files crashed to the ground in avalanches! Paperwork was scattered everywhere! Not a single human hand was used to create this disaster—Satsuki did it all with the power of her mind.

---

---

“Miss!” This was clearly Satsuki’s handiwork. Fully aware of that, Shindo called to her reproachfully as he marched over to her.

Meanwhile, Satsuki’s eyes were still burning with rage as she spun away from Shindo. “I’m going to give Father a piece of my mind!”

Slipping past Shindo, she held her hands palm-down over the fallen avalanche of files. She moved her fingers in a beckoning motion as if drawing them toward her. Like metal attracted to a magnet, the thick files flew straight into her hands!

“I’ve told him not to dump too much office work on you! Every time I turn my back, he’s increased your workload! What in the world is he thinking?” Satsuki complained.

Seeing Satsuki storm toward the door with the files clutched tightly against her chest, Shindo quickly jumped in front of her to block her path.

“Please don’t, Miss. Although I take great pleasure in knowing you are concerned for me, the master would call me to task if you did that.” The moment Shindo fell into her line of sight while he calmly offered that explanation, brows arched in anger lowered as her face took on a cute, somewhat sullen expression.

“But you’re my retainer! So why must you juggle assignments from my father and the office?! It isn’t right for you to neglect me in favor of other work! It isn’t, is it? Shindo, you,” Satsuki paused, softening her tone mid-sentence with cheeks slightly flushed once she realized how worked up she was getting. Averting her eyes from Shindo, she was uncertain where to look. Satsuki continued softer, “...you belong to me...”

Satsuki had an inkling her father wanted to assign Shindo a position at the Tsujikawa Corporation headquarters seeing as he not only knew the Tsujikawa family and company inside and out due to serving as her retainer since she was little, but was also as sharp as a tack. Nevertheless, she couldn’t allow her father to have his way. She was the one who picked Shindo. He belonged to her. Such feelings filled her heart. Besides, she held him closer to her heart than anyone.

“Thank you, Miss,” Shindo said calmly as he took the files from her hands. He placed them on the floor before taking her now empty hands into his own. Both of her hands rested upon one of his, leaving the other hand free to shroud them in its caress.

“You shouldn’t grab things like that so recklessly. What if you hurt your hands?” Shindo admonished.

“...You made me do it, Shindo,” Satsuki retorted. She clearly acted of her own accord. Although Satsuki knew that good and well, she refused to accept that fact.

With Satsuki’s hand in his, Shindo fell onto one knee, gracefully bowing before her. “You have my humblest apologies...”

It didn’t matter whether Satsuki made selfish demands or unfair claims. She was his mistress, posing as a supreme being before him.

“Please forgive me for upsetting you with my poor choice of words,” Shindo continued.

He squeezed Satsuki’s hands, still clasped in his own, as he looked up at her. Satsuki felt her chest grow tight as she peered into Shindo’s gentle eyes, which reminded her of when he was trying to soothe a child.

“...Forget it. I overreacted a bit myself...” she admitted.

Shindo only obeyed Satsuki’s orders when her father and head of the Tsujikawa estate entered the picture. He was the very man who allowed a strange boy without a name to stay with his precious daughter out of respect for her wishes, going so far as to tell him “Protect Satsuki.” Shindo could never turn down one of his requests.

That was why Satsuki hated when her father gave him work related to the corporation. The company was going to steal him from her! She couldn’t help but feel it would tear them apart. She was afraid that if this persisted, eventually it would devour all of his time and she would be left alone.

Of course, Satsuki had a good nine other attendants beside Shindo who provided assistance in various outlets. But attendants were merely attendants, not retainers. If—Heaven forbid—Shindo was released from his position as retainer someday, it was unlikely Satsuki could choose a replacement.

Shindo slowly drew to his feet and offered Satsuki a gentle smile. “Would you like to chat until you fall asleep? Or should I read to you?” he asked.

His gentle smile made Satsuki indescribably happy. She knew that he only smiled like this at her and no one else.

Looking up at Shindo, she offered him a happy smile of her own and replied, “A book sounds lovely. I’d like that big one about Greek mythology!”

“All right.”

Shindo chuckled to himself as he approached the bookcase against the wall. It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to obey the master’s orders today, he thought. As a wry chuckle slipped out, he suddenly recalled an engagement.

“By the way, we have a guest coming tomorrow morning,” Shindo told her.

“A guest? From what company?”

“...He’s the managing director of a very large company. And he’s coming to see you,” he explained. Although his meaningful grin piqued her curiosity, Satsuki slightly knit her brows at hearing the guest was coming to see her rather than her father.

Earning the title “Tsujikawa Sacred Blade” at an early age, Satsuki dealt with people claiming she was “already talented enough to take over Tsujikawa Corporation” since she was twelve or thirteen. There were naturally a great many who wanted to hold business meetings with her, but some in those ranks plotted schemes that extended well beyond the realm of work. The number of such scoundrels only increased as Satsuki grew more beautiful with each passing year.

“Since tomorrow is Saturday, he should arrive by 10:00 a.m. at the earliest. Please keep that in mind,” Shindo informed her.

“Understood,” Satsuki replied with her eyes on Shindo’s back. He was searching for the book while explaining the following day’s schedule. She found such meetings distasteful, but decided to savor this moment of bliss won by throwing a tantrum. Having come to this decision upon weighing her options, Satsuki patiently waited for Shindo to turn back towards her.

***

IT went without saying there was no school on Saturdays, but Satsuki was in for a surprise to find her father home. He almost always went to work on Saturdays.

Satsuki was home with her mother and father. After the three finished their first family breakfast in ages, her father wanted to speak with Shindo privately. The other attendants were ordered to stay with Satsuki in pairs. Even in her own home, the Tsujikawa heiress was never—not even for a second—supposed to be left unattended. But just like always, Satsuki gave the two attendants the slip when their backs were turned and went into hiding.

“I don’t need any other attendants if Shindo won’t be long,” Satsuki mumbled under her breath as she entered the courtyard. In reality, the security on their property was bordering perfect. It was hard to imagine the possibility of an intruder posing a threat within the perimeter.

“It’s not like anyone beside Shindo could protect me, anyway...” she whispered in a hushed voice to the cherry trees standing with calm composure in the courtyard. Still only a handful of blossoms peeked through branches handsomely dressed with leaves.

“Wouldn’t you agree?” she asked the trees for their assent.

The cherry trees rustled noisily despite the lack of wind. But the rustling was not restricted to those trees synched with her...

Rustle! The cherry tree directly in front of Satsuki shook violently; a man leapt out of the bushes next to it!

Frozen like a deer caught in headlights, Satsuki gasped in fear! It was a tall man! He was wearing a moss green suit with a lustrous, beige necktie. Although a pair of sunglasses hid his eyes, going by his nimble movements, it was easy to tell he was young. In all likelihood, he was in his twenties.

The man swiftly reached out his hand, latching onto Satsuki’s right arm!

“What...are you—” Satsuki started to demand, but was cut off when the man yanked her arm, pulling her toward him.

Satsuki jerked her arm away in hopes of breaking free of his grip while bringing her left hand up to punch him! But the man effortlessly caught her hand! The hand that previously held her right arm now held both her wrists!

“Let go...of me!”

Whack! With a loud crack, Satsuki’s hands were slapped out of the man’s grasp! Now that she was free, Shindo planted himself protectively in front of her!

“...Shindo!” Satsuki cried as she rubbed wrists sore from being held so tight. She peeked around the protective barrier Shindo created to observe the man on the other side.

The man quietly grumbled, “Ow, that hurt!” as he shook the hand Shindo harshly slapped in the air.

With a dry smile, he said, “Jeez, you’re heartless...Mr. Shindo.”

The man chuckled softly as he removed his sunglasses. They revealed a young man with such a pretty face, it was truly the image of “handsome beauty.”

“Good morning, Satsuki.”

***

“WE’VE been expecting you. It is a pleasure to see you again, Master Manabu.” Serving as the butler for the Tsujikawa family for generations, Mizuno greeted Manabu at the door with the most elegant of bows.

“Good day, Mr. Mizuno,” the young man greeted amiably, flashing a smile that could steal the hearts of all the women in the world. Twenty-four-year-old Manabu Hayama was Satsuki’s one and only cousin.

“You didn’t have to come out to welcome him, Mizuno!” Satsuki snapped.

She stormed past Manabu into the house. Whipping around with her hands on her hips, her cheeks still burned red as she glared at her cousin. She rounded on him, shouting, “How dare you jump out at me and make such a violent entrance! I was terrified you were an attacker!”

“Really? Did you think I was going to assault you?” he teased.

“I-I most certainly did! Isn’t that obvious?” she raged with her cheeks growing even redder in humiliation.

As she tried to defend herself, Manabu thrust his face directly in front of hers and tapped her on the forehead with his pointer finger. He jeered, “I’d never attack a little girl who gets her panties in a knot over child’s play like that!”

That only served to add oil to the fire of Satsuki’s raging temper, but Shindo was even angrier than her. There was simply no way he could forgive an insufferable lout who had the gall to tease his precious mistress.

But as could be expected of someone with nearly eighteen years’ worth of experience teasing Satsuki and her retainer, Manabu knew when to back down. Before Shindo could lunge from his position diagonally behind Satsuki to strike, Manabu cleared his throat with a pronounced “Ahem!” as he straightened. He patted Satsuki on the head like a child and said, “I’m just teasing.”

Then he shifted his eyes to Shindo and gave an impish grin before continuing, “You’ve grown into such a pretty lady, Cousin. If you didn’t have Mr. Shindo around, I might try to steal you away from here.”

Shindo’s eyebrows twitched with further disgust, but what Manabu said next brook no argument that he had “absolutely no interest in going after Satsuki.” He smoothly added, “Assuming I didn’t have a fiancée...that is.”

He naturally wasn’t interested in his cousin, but he sure did enjoy getting a rise out of Shindo.

Manabu Hayama was the son of the Hayama Group president, which included industry giant Hayama Pharmaceuticals. He was essentially set to follow in his father’s footsteps. Upon graduating from university, he received the position of Managing Director at Hayama Pharmaceuticals and served as his father’s right-hand man.

Manabu’s father and Satsuki’s mother were siblings, falling into the traditional image of “big brother” and “little sister.” Satsuki’s father, on the other hand, was an only child. Much like Satsuki and her father, Manabu was also an only child. As a result, he was her one and only cousin.

***

“WHY did you come unaccompanied today, anyway?” Satsuki asked Manabu, looking puzzled. She was sitting face to face with him on the sofa in the living room. It would have come across as cold and uninviting if she showed him to the drawing room at this point.

“Where is Miharu? Has the love-light finally faded from her eyes?”

Manabu softly snorted and looked up at Shindo, who was placing a cup of coffee in front of him. He said, “Did you hear that, Mr. Shindo? This young lady you’ve raised has the nastiest little mouth!”

Shindo simply chuckled, not saying a word in response.

Manabu heaved a heavy sigh as if to say, “Good grief!” before returning to the topic at hand. “Apparently Uncle Tsukasa needs me for something. I wanted to see my darling cousin’s face first, but then I’ll have to go see what he wants after this. That’s why I came by myself... But, hey, I have every intention of spending the rest of the day with Miharu in body and mind when I get back. It’s not like one morning apart will kill us.”

“I’m glad to hear you get along so well,” Satsuki replied dryly. She’d known for ages that Manabu and his fiancée, Miharu, were on extremely good terms. Part of her found it silly how he continued to brag about their relationship after all this time. But there were also times she couldn’t help but feel jealous when listening to him. Jealous of how they could follow their hearts and simply share their love unencumbered...

“But I wish I could have seen Miharu. You must bring her with you next time!” Satsuki insisted.

“Sure. Miharu wanted to see you, too. We’ll drop by in the near future,” Manabu promised.

“I can’t wait,” Satsuki replied. She was so genuinely happy, a smile naturally spread across her lips.

Manabu’s fiancée, Miharu Kono, and Satsuki were good friends. Miharu was twenty-three. Not only did she know Manabu since they were little, she was even in the same grade as him due to being born right before the academic cut-off date. A smart and beautiful lady, Satsuki looked up to her like an older sister ever since they first met. Miharu was currently working for Manabu as his secretary.

“I’m surprised Father wanted to speak with you... What do you think it’s about?” Satsuki inquired. Shindo placed a teacup in front of her. She stared intently at the pretty, translucent red liquid.

“He said he wanted my advice... This is all in regards to your birthday party, Satsuki,” Manabu explained.

“My birthday party? Oh...” Satsuki offered a somewhat indifferent response before picking up the teacup.

Satsuki’s eighteenth birthday was next month on May Second. Her birthday parties were less about spending time with her friends, and more about inviting Tsujikawa business associates. It was an annual event thrown in the banquet hall of the Tsujikawa mansion. There was a hodgepodge of attendees, from those who came regarding work to those wanting to sneak a peek at Satsuki. Various forms of entertainment were also provided throughout the course of these parties to keep Satsuki and the other youthful guests from growing bored.

Father never even tells me what he’s going to do; he just does it. It’s strange he’s asking Manabu for advice beforehand, even if it’s about the entertainment... This isn’t like him... Does this mean he’s planning something big? Satsuki thought, somewhat worried, as she took a sip of tea.

With its mellow fragrance, the tea held a light sweetness that lingered in her mouth. The sweetness enhanced the natural flavor of the tealeaves, serving the brew justice. Naturally, only Shindo could’ve brewed it so perfectly to her taste. Satsuki would only drink his tea except for when they were visiting someone or there was an emergency at home or school.

Satsuki shifted her eyes to Shindo, who was standing in front of the wagon next to the sofa. He was busily straightening up the tea saucers and such. He must’ve sensed her eyes on him for he looked up. The moment their eyes locked, Satsuki offered him a happy smile.

“This is delicious. You truly do brew the best tea,” she complimented.

“Thank you. Nothing could make me happier than to hear your words of praise,” Shindo replied, giving Satsuki a happy, gentle smile in return.

Faintly blushing, Satsuki briefly lost herself in that smile before finally returning her gaze to the tea. Shindo lovingly watched her adorable reaction before looking away in turn.

On the one hand, the two were the image of happiness. On the other, it was an image that was never meant to exist. Manabu silently observed the sight of forbidden emotions drifting between the two. All the while, he had to bite his tongue...

***

TSUKASA Tsujikawa was the current president of Tsujikawa Corporation. Due to an accident unexpectedly taking the life of the previous president, he attained this mighty position at the early age of twenty. An only child, his father had taken him to work since he was a wee boy to show him the ropes. By the time Tsukasa reached his teenage years, he grasped the internal affairs well enough to run the business alongside his father.

“Tsukasa could kill with a look at the office,” those around him said in fear of his sharp eyes. At the age of twenty-two, he met his wife, Tsubaki. She was Manabu’s aunt on his father’s side. At the time, she was still only seventeen.

Tsukasa fell in love with her at first sight. The infamously willful beauty, the “Hayama’s Princess Camellia” rejected his proposals one after the next. Although the battle of wills ended with their marriage, they were not blessed with a child for quite some time... After several years passed, they finally conceived Satsuki.

Clear from the time she was first formed inside her mother, Satsuki reached out to speak telepathically with her parents. Most would probably find such creepy interactions unbearable, but this was the life they finally conceived after years of trying. She was their miracle baby. Neither could possibly harbor any form of animosity toward their precious gift.

Satsuki displayed outstanding talent worthy of her title as the “Tsujikawa Sacred Blade,” which she received as the president of the Tsujikawa Corporation’s only daughter. At the moment, she was not only considered a trustworthy business woman, but also had connections. Her business skills had already achieved a level that allowed her to talk on par with her father.

Nevertheless, Tsukasa would invite his nephew over to talk in private every once in a while. Known as the “Hayama Prodigy,” the swift wits Manabu boasted of since his early years made Tsukasa take a shine to the lad. If not for the fact Manabu insisted on deciding his own fiancée, Tsukasa would have seen to it that he married Satsuki. Then he could pick up the Tsujikawa mantle someday... That was just how much he liked the young man. Why, he even asked Manabu here for “advice” on a certain matter today.

“Are you seriously considering that?” Manabu asked. He served as Satsuki’s guest for roughly an hour before Tsukasa summoned him to the drawing room. And he couldn’t help but frown at what his uncle disclosed.

“Yes, I’m quite serious. This was something I meant to do years ago, actually,” Tsukasa said with a heavy sigh as he reached for one of the tightly wrapped cigars neatly lined in a case on his desk. After taking one for himself, he offered one to Manabu. The younger man smiled as he waved it away. “You’re uptight about the darnedest things,” Tsukasa pointed out with a bemused chuckle and put the cigar case back down.

Manabu jokingly explained himself as he said, “If I smell like cigars when I get home, my darling fiancée will insist I ‘smoked to hide the smell of another woman.’”

“Well, now! Aren’t you two the cutest little lovebirds!” Tsukasa barked, laughing loudly.

No matter how intelligent of a daughter Satsuki was, he could never share man-to-man conversations such as this with her. He truly enjoyed the time he spent talking with his nephew.

In reality, Manabu’s fiancée might make such quips in jest, but she was not the sort of woman to make such accusatory claims in earnest. As Manabu watched Tsukasa enjoy himself, the younger man folded his arms. He reclined against the deep-set couch with his chin resting in his right hand as he fell into contemplation.

“Uncle,” he eventually said with knitted brows, only shifting his eyes to look at Tsukasa. “About what we were discussing. If you are truly serious about going through with it, there is something you need to take into account.”

“What is it?”

Manabu rose from the couch before declaring gravely, “You’ll need to separate Satsuki from her retainer, Mr. Shindo.”

***

“YOUR birthday party?” Satsuki Narusawa asked, holding the pretty white envelop Satsuki Tsujikawa just gave her.

“That’s right. I think it’s a bit silly to hold a birthday party when I’m turning eighteen...but it’s become something of a family tradition. My father has every intention of throwing one again this year,” Satsuki explained.

Tsukasa informed Satsuki the previous night that she was going to have a birthday party yet again this year. He handed her several invitations, instructing her to pass them out to her friends and acquaintances at school.

After distributing invitations to the teachers and faculty with whom she interacted, she went around giving them to members of the Student Council and her acquaintances. Although it was the sort of task that could be delegated to Shindo and her other attendants, Satsuki felt it would leave a completely different impression on the guests if she personally delivered the invitations. If they were coming to celebrate her birthday, she wanted to make them feel as welcomed as possible. This was a small way of showing she cared. Naturally, Shindo was with her the entire time she handed out the invitations.

“I can’t wait! I had a great time last year. That was the most incredible birthday party ever!” Narusawa held the invitation to her chest as she turned to face the attendant at her side. “It was amazing!” she explained to Kurihara. “All of the prominent figures in politics, finance, and business were there. You could certainly tell it was hosted by Tsujikawa Corporation’s president. I brought my father as my escort, but he practically ran himself ragged handing out his business cards. But it’s amazing how Miss Tsujikawa manages to stand out, even amongst such an impressive crowd. Her beauty doesn’t let you forget who the star of the evening is.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. Miss Tsujikawa is so beautiful on a daily basis, I bet she must look extra stunning when dressed up for the party...” Kurihara complimented Satsuki with a smile.

The man was paying the little lady a compliment. As her retainer, it shouldn’t rub him the wrong way. Yet behind his perfect mask, Shindo was inwardly annoyed.

It was hard to say whether Satsuki was aware of Shindo’s inner turmoil as she threw out the vulnerable offer, “Mr. Kurihara, if you’d like, you’re more than welcome to come as Miss Narusawa’s escort.”

“Huh? I can tag along?” he asked.

“Yes, of course you can! Not only were you kind enough to lend a hand with those books the other day, you chastised Shindo for slacking in his duties as my attendant,” Satsuki said, looking up through her lashes with a somewhat mischievous twinkle in her eye at Shindo beside her.

Rather than argue in his defense, Shindo turned on the charm, directing a dashing smile at Narusawa. “I’m looking forward to laying my eyes upon your elegant beauty in a dress.”

“Wow! Mr. Shindo, you certainly know how to flatter a lady!” Narusawa squealed. She laughed in amusement as Shindo casually dipped his head in a slight bow as he offered his smooth compliment.

Satsuki was less than amused.

***

“YOU certainly don’t waste any time making your move, do you?” Satsuki spat.

The school’s express elevator to the fifth floor popped open. Shindo lightly pressed against the door as he stepped into the elevator before taking Satsuki’s hand and guiding her inside. The doors slid shut behind her.

“Not that again,” Shindo groaned. Upon pressing the button leading straight to the fifth floor, a quiet mechanical noise accompanied the sense of rising unique to elevators.

He threw Satsuki a somewhat troubled look. She was leaning against the wall with her arms folded. Unsure where to cast her eyes in refusal to face him, she traced the corners of the elevator.

“That compliment of yours made Miss Narusawa’s day. Not that I’m surprised, the way she has a crush on you. I bet you’re thrilled to add another beauty to the fan club,” Satsuki jabbed.

“Miss...”

“You’ve stolen the hearts of so many women at home and the office!”

Shindo couldn’t help but laugh dryly at Satsuki’s sarcastic snipe. He suspected she didn’t take well to how he complimented Narusawa in front of her. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but teasingly retort, “Didn’t you like receiving a compliment from Mr. Kurihara, Miss?”

The elevator reached the fifth floor, but the door failed to slide open. Puzzled, Shindo pressed the “Open” button, but the door refused to budge.

“Miss?” he asked, turning to look at Satsuki as a lightbulb in his head clicked on.

Satsuki held her left hand perpendicular with the floor as she glared intently at the door. She was keeping the elevator door from opening.

“Why won’t you let it open?” Shindo asked.

“I didn’t like it.”

“Miss?”

“I don’t like when someone else compliments me one bit...” Satsuki said in a low voice as she glared at Shindo. “Shindo...have you ever wanted to...embrace me?”

The sudden question made Shindo’s eyes widen in surprise. Her own grew misty in recollection of haunting memories. She fixed those misty eyes hard on Shindo.

“The drive in humans to seek the opposite sex is a normal emotion for people... But ever since I was little, I’ve seen a great deal of that emotion. So even if I don’t peer into the person’s heart, each time someone pays me a compliment...I can’t help but wonder...if he is also having fun raping me in his mind...”

Year by year, Satsuki was growing into a pure hearted, beautiful woman. She could read the inner workings of human minds best left unknown. She could sense the obscene desires of men best kept hidden. She knew the wicked thoughts of jealous women. But no matter what she perceived, her only choice was to endure it with a smile. Never mind how hard that might prove...

On numerous occasions, Satsuki shunned her powers. Despising herself for possessing these accursed abilities, she cried, “I wish these powers would go away!” But they never did—they only grew stronger, more acute.

“I can’t take any compliments at face value... I know that something tainted is hiding behind those flowery words,” Satsuki confessed, tears filling her eyes.

Why did I reveal the pain in my heart to Shindo...? It saddened her to think he actually believed she enjoyed the flattery of another. She found it disheartening to know how little he thought of her.

It only ever makes me happy...when you compliment me, Shindo...

“Miss,” Shindo whispered softly as he knelt before Satsuki. Gently cupping her left hand in both of his, he drew it to his chest. “Please read my mind.”

“...Shindo?”

“And if you find my sentiments for you are even a little ‘tainted,’ then...”

“...Then what?” Satsuki asked.

“Then please send me away,” he finished.

Satsuki was struck speechless. She couldn’t imagine sending him away, no matter what happened between them.

“I am your retainer. Having looked after you since infancy, it would be improper for me to harbor such feelings toward you. I must never, by any means, sully or taint you,” Shindo said, his words pressing heavily on Satsuki’s heart. None of it was new to her, but it was nonetheless painful to hear from his mouth.

“I mean every word when I pay you a compliment. But if you question the truth behind my words, feel free to read my mind whenever you wish. And if you should ever discover content you find harmful—”

“That’s enough...” Satsuki said, cutting Shindo off. Tumbling to her knees, she snuggled against his chest. “...Your heart and mind are always warm... You’re always there to embrace me in its warmth.”

“Miss...”

“It was wrong of me to ask that. I’m sorry. I know you would never think of me that way... It’s just, it doesn’t make me the least bit happy when some other man compliments me... So when you said I must have liked it, it made me sad...and a little angry...” Satsuki apologized.

Shindo silently stroked her hair. It was unusual for her to speak so openly with him. His heart ached, realizing just how much his thoughtless comment hurt Satsuki.

“After all, you know me better than anyone else... You’re the best retainer ever.”

“You’re too kind, Miss,” Shindo replied. He was relieved to see Satsuki finally smile a little. All the while, he scorned himself in his heart as a despicable liar for claiming...his feelings for her were nothing but pure.

***

SHINDO left the Tsujikawa private suite to pick up Satsuki at the Student Council Room after school and was making his way to the stairwell.

“Mr. Shindo!” called Narusawa as she popped out of her private suite. Her timing was too good, almost as if she was laying in wait for him. Kurihara wasn’t anywhere in sight; apparently she was alone.

“May I help you, Miss Narusawa?” Shindo asked.

Narusawa approached him with a seductive countenance. She softly ran her fingers across his suit as she cooed in a sugary voice, “I’d really appreciate if you kept this a secret from Miss Tsujikawa, but I seem to have lost the invitation for her birthday party that she gave me this morning.”

“You’ve lost the birthday invitation?”

“That’s right. I’m not sure how to handle this. Would you mind giving me some advice?” she asked.

“If that’s all, I can give you a spare invitation. I’ll fetch one from the car,” Shindo offered.

“Great! Thank you! You are such a life saver!” Narusawa exclaimed, bursting into a great smile as she looked seductively at Shindo through her lashes.

“I’ll be waiting for you in my private suite. Be sure to come drop it off, but remember, don’t tell Miss Tsujikawa about this. Well, I’ll be here waiting,” Narusawa pushed.

“I’ll be right back with your replacement,” Shindo responded. He had no idea that someone else was heading to the Student Council Room in his place at that very moment...

***

“SATSUKI, is Mr. Shindo coming to pick you up?” asked classmate and fellow Student Council member Alice Misakimori as they were checking the flower arrangements in the Student Council Room for the exhibition.

Not too long ago, the room was bustling with the Student Council and its advisor. But the crowd gradually dispersed until it was down to the Student Council President, Satsuki, and the Activities Assistant, Alice.

“Yes, he should be here any minute now,” Satsuki answered. Checking over the flower arrangements with binder in hand, Satsuki held the pen to her lips as she fell into a moment of contemplation. She spun on her heel to face Alice so sharply that her skirt flared scandalously.

“Hmmm? By any chance, are you staying late because of Shindo?” she asked in a slightly teasing tone.

Rather than dodge the question or act guilty, Alice boldly came clean! “Yes, I sure am. My feet are glued to this spot till the man shows up,” she proclaimed jokingly with a grin.

Alice was a good-humored girl with a likeable personality. She was such a kindhearted girl, she treated Satsuki just like anyone else while most students found her unapproachable because of her loftiness and social status as a member of the most powerful family in the school.

A fellow third year, Alice’s family owned a nationwide restaurant chain. Her chauffeur was none other than Matsunaga, whom Shindo enjoyed shooting the breeze with whenever he visited the Guardian’s Lounge.

“Well, Shindo certainly is lucky to have someone as adorable as you waiting for him,” Satsuki replied and giggled happily with her mouth hidden behind her hand.

Alice over-exaggeratedly swished her hands across her face as she cried, “Lucky? Over me? Please! We’re talking about the man who always gets to be with you. I bet you have to be super attractive to catch his eye... If only I were as pretty as you! Then I’d have the courage to tell him how I feel.”

With the smile still on her face, Satsuki turned her attention back to the flowers lined against the wall. Drawing the charm of the flowers to their full potential, these arrangements were supposed to go on display in the school’s flower arrangement exhibition. The plan was to carry them to the classroom where they would be displayed the following day.

A fair number of heiresses studied the art of ikebana or flower arranging. So while they were put together by students, each piece was truly a work of art. Satsuki was personally making one as the President of the Student Council, but it was supposed to go outside the exhibition entrance rather than inside with the other arrangements.

“A bunch of girls admire Mr. Shindo—not that I’m surprised. He really is wonderful. You two were made for each other. I’m so jealous,” Alice continued.

“I’ll be sure to pass on the compliment. But in all honesty, I’m happy to hear you speak so well of my attendant,” Satsuki returned the pleasantry.

“He looks just like a prince when he escorts you. No, I guess he’d be a knight since he’s protecting you.”

Simply pulling forth the memory of Shindo serving Satsuki on a daily basis evoked a dreamy sigh from Alice. The young woman harbored feelings of admiration for the older man... Her heart treaded a razor-thin tight rope; one slip and those feelings of “admiration” would turn to “love”...

Alice’s feelings flowed into Satsuki’s mind... A pang of pain stabbed her chest. The moment those emotions filled her heart—

The vase on top of the accent table next to Alice suddenly toppled, breaking with a loud crash by her feet!

“Eiiyaa!!” Alice squeaked as she jumped back! “...That nearly gave me a heart attack... How in the world did that fall?”

“Are you okay, Alice?” Satsuki asked.

If Alice failed to jump back, her feet would’ve been covered in glass. The spray of shards could have led to some nasty cuts.

On the other hand, there was a rug spread across the floor in the Student Council Room. It should have offered sufficient cushion to prevent the vase from shattering, but Alice was too rattled over the scare to notice.

“What a mess! I’ll let the Cleaning Club know about it,” Alice offered. Most students were prohibited from touching anything dangerous that could potentially hurt them.

Just as she was about to call the Cleaning Club on the internal phone system, Satsuki stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. Won’t your chauffeur be waiting in the car for you by now? I can handle the rest.”

“But...”

“It’s fine! It’s just one, quick call. You, on the other hand, should get ready to go already. You’re going to keep your chauffeur waiting,” Satsuki insisted.

I can’t believe she’s even worrying about someone else’s chauffeur. Satsuki really is a sweetheart, Alice thought to herself as she grabbed her briefcase and threw Satsuki a warm smile.

“Well, I guess I’ll be heading out then, Satsuki. Please be sure to tell Mr. Shindo ‘Hello’ for me.”

“Yes, of course,” Satsuki replied, returning the smile. But on the inside, she felt like she was going to scream.

...No... I don’t want to tell Shindo how another girl feels, Satsuki thought once she was alone in the Student Council Room.

Rooted in place, she shifted her eyes to the broken shards that once formed a vase. The moment Alice’s budding romantic feelings flowed into Satsuki, a great wave crashed in her heart.

Stop it... Don’t look at Shindo like that, she thought. The wave of emotions was painful and sad, but also resembled hatred. Such was the nature of jealousy.

Her heart ached. The wrenching sorrow was unbearable. Placing the binder upon the desk assigned to her as the Student Council President, she pressed her hands against her chest with her head dropped between her shoulders.

“...Shindo...” she said, whispering his name. Satsuki could tell the beating of her heart jumped an octave.

When did this first start...? She wondered when these wicked emotions began to swirl within. When did she develop the emotion known as “jealousy”? It was such a painful, sad...and embarrassing emotion.

Satsuki was confident that Shindo belonged to her. Yet whenever she sensed someone else looking at him, this hideous emotion beyond her control would rear its ugly head. It was the green-eyed monster.

It never surfaced within Satsuki during her childhood. Back then, it genuinely made her happy to simply be with Shindo.

How about now? Am I happy simply being with him? No. Somewhere along the way, she started to yearn for something more.

She wanted him to touch her. To touch her shoulders, her hands, and her hair. She grew to yearn for his touch. And when he did touch her, it was coupled with a strange sense of exaltation as her chest grew tight.

“I...am so selfish...” Satsuki whispered beratingly. “Shindo,” she started, but continued in her mind, I...have always...

As Satsuki lost herself in thought, a knock came at the door. Considering the time, it was most likely Shindo. Jumping to the conclusion it was the man she longed to see, Satsuki grew antsy waiting for the door to open and called out, “Come in!” A few seconds later, her expectations were dashed to the ground.

“Excuse me,” came the voice of none other than...

“Mr. Kurihara?” she asked in surprise. It was Satsuki Narusawa’s attendant, Tadayuki Kurihara.

He offered her a bow before shutting the door behind him. “Thank goodness! I’m so glad you’re still here, Miss Tsujikawa,” he exclaimed with a carefree smile as he stealthily locked the door behind his back without Satsuki’s knowledge. “To be honest, I wanted to offer you my gratitude.”

“Offer me your gratitude?”

“That’s right. It made me so happy when you personally extended an invitation to a nobody like me... You have my deepest gratitude,” Kurihara emphasized and lowered his head in a deep bow.

The sight of such humble chivalry brought a genuinely tender smile to Satsuki’s lips. “No, this is hardly necessary. It’s true that you looked out for me, after all. That made me happy,” Satsuki responded.

Kurihara raised his head and began walking toward her. “Thank you, Miss Satsuki. I’m truly overjoyed to hear you say that... My heart has pined for you from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

“Huh...?” Satsuki croaked, taken aback by what sounded like a love confession.

Kurihara grasped both of her hands, holding them tight before his chest as he continued, “I simply must repay you, apple of my eye... I want you to know how I yearn for you.”

“Mr. Kurihara?” Something about him wasn’t quite right. The moment she tried to break away, Kurihara pulled her into an embrace! “M-Mr. Kurihara...!”

“Miss Satsuki...” She was frozen with shock in his embrace. She could feel his steamy breath when he whispered so close to her ear. “Allow me to show my gratitude...” he breathed.

“...Show your...?” Satsuki tried to repeat, but was too stunned to properly form the words. Kurihara grinned evilly with her pressed against his chest.

“I’m going to show you such a good time...”

***

“THIS is going to make me a bit late,” Shindo said after closing the car door and glancing down at his watch. He contemplated for a moment how best to tackle the situation. The hands on his watch indicated it was already time for him to pick up Satsuki at the Student Council Room. If he went to Narusawa’s private suite to deliver the spare birthday invitation first, he would definitely be late.

He couldn’t help but wonder how Narusawa managed to lose the invitation in the course of a single school day, but it wasn’t his place to question her. Moreover, she felt so guilty about losing it, she specifically asked him to keep it a secret from Satsuki. In which case, the only logical order of operation was to give Narusawa her new invitation before heading to the Student Council Room to pick up Satsuki.

His course of action set, Shindo headed to the main building, determined to move as quickly as possible. He recalled how Satsuki threw sullen or slightly angry glares reserved only for him whenever he came later than the agreed upon time, making him break into a mirthful grin.

“You’re in the wrong, Shindo! It’s your fault for being late!” she might chastise him with a pout. The mere thought of it nearly made him chuckle out loud, but a master of the poker face, he managed to maintain an unreadable mask as he entered the main building.

It was time for students to leave for the day, so the spacious entrance hall by the front entrance was bustling with drivers, chauffeurs, and the students they were ushering home.

Knowing Shindo was Satsuki’s attendant, the young ladies took full advantage of the fact he was alone. Her absence made him far more approachable!

“Good day, Mr. Shindo,” one girl greeted.

“As dedicated to your work as ever, I see,” said another.

“I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow,” called a third.

He had to stop and bow left and right, saying, “Thank you very much,” each time a girl called out to him. In all honesty, the only girl he cared to put on the charm for was Satsuki. But as her retainer, anything he did to raise eyebrows would reflect poorly on her. Bearing that in mind, Shindo made a point to never slight anyone who spoke to him even if she wasn’t the Miss. In the end, such conduct would ultimately help Satsuki.

He treated others with kindness and sincerity regardless of whether they were male or female. Combined with his good looks, he inevitably stole the hearts of countless women. Whenever Satsuki sensed their feelings, it put her in a foul mood.

“You’re such a player, Shindo!” she would accuse angrily. It was always hard to tell whether she meant it or not.

While somewhat distressing, it was also adorable how she acted jealous over him. It was also touching how she showed this side of herself only to him. Although, he shouldn’t consider his Miss “adorable”—not when he’d been Satsuki’s guardian for most of her life. He felt “parental love” as he saw Satsuki’s heart and mind develop into a woman.

He also harbored feelings that excelled beyond “parental love”... Those feelings grew stronger with each passing year. Seeing her grow more beautiful by the year made these emotions torment him when the single word “retainer” nearly wasn’t enough to keep him in line.

It was not his place to harbor such feelings. He was not allowed to voice how he felt. He would tell himself as much whenever these feelings tore at his heart. But he was filled with uncertainty, unsure how long he could bury his emotions under that guise...

With the express elevator reserved for the ladies use only, Shindo began briskly walking up the stairs to the fifth floor. Eager to rush to Satsuki’s side, he wished he could race up the stairwell to see this invitation in Narusawa’s hands as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he couldn’t frighten the young ladies he passed with the bloodcurdling sight of a grown man hurtling by.

Moving as quickly as he could while nonetheless maintaining a pace that feigned composure, he passed the door to the fourth floor—home of the Student Council Room—as he made his way to the fifth floor, where Narusawa and Satsuki’s private suites were located. He had no way of knowing...what was currently happening on the fourth floor as he passed it by...

***

THE voice Kurihara always used when he called her “Miss Tsujikawa” whispered in her ear with a rush of hot breath. Satsuki’s body shuddered violently.

“...Are you quivering? How cute...” Kurihara cooed. Holding her frozen stiff body in his arms, he began combing his fingers through her soft, beautiful, black hair. Satsuki’s body began to shiver in disgust.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, Miss Satsuki, but...I’ve been in love with you from the moment I first saw you,” he confessed in a sensual voice. Moving fluidly with the ease that suggested a certain degree of experience, Kurihara ran his hands over Satsuki’s face, down to her chin as he lovingly moved her hair to rub against his cheeks.

“Ah...”

Satsuki’s body wouldn’t stop trembling. A part of her felt terrified and embarrassed that she wanted to burst into tears. There was only one source for those feelings.

You always act so high and mighty, so why the hell are you trembling? The moment Kurihara pulled her into an embrace, Satsuki’s mind was so unnerved...the door to her heart popped open...

“...No...”

The thoughts, mental images, and delusions of those nearby flowed into her mind, rendering her immobile. The thoughts of people not present entered as raucous noise with Kurihara’s thoughts loudly roaring over them all.

It’s not every day I getta screw a giant corporation’s princess.

“Let go...of me...” she weakly squeezed out as the whirlwind of thoughts overwhelmed her.

I’m gonna bang this bitch till her pretty little face is totally trashed.

“No! Let go...of...me...”

It’d be a riot if she’s better than Narusawa after putting on such a wholesome face!

“Unhand me!”

Satsuki’s mind was hit by an onslaught of lustful male fantasies that entered the realm of depraved. She saw the thoughts and fantasies of men who viewed her as nothing more than a sex toy meant for deriving their own pleasure.

“No...!”

This was hardly the first time a man portrayed Satsuki as his plaything in his fantasies. She had grown accustomed to seeing and sensing human lust. Hurt and saddened each time, she simply faced it with somewhat cold eyes and declared with resignation, “That is human nature.” On the other hand...

“Miss Satsuki! Don’t be uncouth! It isn’t ladylike to scream like that!” Kurihara chided. Scream louder! That’ll make this all the more fun!

This wasn’t the usual “fantasy.” This was happening to her. It was “reality.” Satsuki quickly swallowed the scream rising in her throat. Screaming and shouting in opposition would only give this man pleasure. She wanted to use her powers to thrust him away, but the images rushing into her mind made it difficult to know if she could hold back enough not to accidentally rend him in half…

While chiding, Kurihara held her close as he forced her to sit upon the rug. Then he suddenly pushed her backwards against the floor! Even with the rug for cushion, the floor underneath was hard. It was only natural for her body to be stunned after a man shoved her against such a hard surface. Hitting her head and back against the floor, Satsuki’s hold on consciousness slipped for a moment as her vision blurred.

Is this...“real”? Is this man really trying to use me to sate his lust...? This isn’t just another sick fantasy of some random passerby on the street...?

The thoughts Satsuki always read revealed the undisguised truth. And then there were the fantasies and delusions that dwelt within human hearts, spawning the moment they saw whatever attracted a person’s desire. But this was reality. Unfamiliar fear at the terrifying reality she was being touched—overpowered—by this man filled her heart with greater horror than she ever knew before.

“What...are you...doing...?” she asked. Her mind was foggy from the blow to the head and the opened door to her heart. Her voice came out thin, like she squeezed it from her throat.

“I said I’m going to show you a good time. Don’t you remember, darling?” Kurihara said gently as his hands boldly caressed her thighs. They dove under her skirt, slid back out, only to dive back under. With each “dive,” his hands explored more and more territory.

Damn... She’s freaking soft... This is the best! Along with Kurihara’s thoughts came his mental arousal and its surges. I can’t wait to see how she puts up a fight... I bet that prick has enjoyed playing around with her.

A new silhouette emerged in his fantasies, revealing the figure of Shindo.

It isn’t right for the bastard to keep all of the fun to himself. He’s gotta share a sweet tush like this... I’ll be happy to trade her for Narusawa, ha!

Satsuki was filled with sad rage by the complete misunderstanding born in Kurihara’s thoughts as he lowered Shindo to his own level.

“Do you...honestly...think you’ll get away with this...?” Satsuki spat words of defiance in an attempt to regain her composure, but they didn’t carry her usual noble dignity due to her hazy consciousness. It only came across to Kurihara’s ears as a woman’s pathetic attempt at resistance before getting raped.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Miss Satsuki. I said I’m going to show you a good time, remember?” Kurihara sneered. His hands stopped caressing her thighs to tear off the sailor dress’s dickey and remove the waist belt. “It’s the staff’s duty to serve their employers. Don’t limit yourself to Mr. Shindo. Allow me to serve you as well! If I had a boss as hot as you, I’d give you all I’ve got, Miss Satsuki!”

With an experienced hand, he deftly slid open the zipper along the back of her uniform.

“No...!” she screamed. A sharper shock stopped him just short of stripping the dress off her.

***

“I’VE been waiting for you, Mr. Shindo,” Narusawa purred, greeting Shindo over the threshold upon opening the door to her private suite.

“I’m sorry for the wait. Here is your extra birthday party invitation,” Shindo replied as he offered the invitation, but Narusawa didn’t take it. Instead, she yanked his extended hand toward her.

“It’s such a rare treat to have you! You might as well come in for a spell,” she insisted.

“I’m sorry, but it is time to pick up Miss Satsuki,” he declined.

She expected a response along those lines. Her arms suddenly sprawled out as she twisted to collapse onto Shindo’s chest.

“Miss Narusawa? Are you all right?” he asked.

“...I’m sorry... I was suddenly struck by a dizzy spell...”

“In that case, you should take it easy for a while. I’ll leave you to rest,” he dismissed, excusing himself.

“Mr. Shindo...”

As he was about to pull away, Narusawa rested her hands against his chest and gave him the same look through her lashes she gave Kurihara when he was “serving” her.

“Kurihara isn’t here right now. I don’t trust my footing, so could you at least help me to the sofa...?” she asked in a sultry voice.

“Are you okay?” he asked. He offered Narusawa one hand while he wrapped his other arm securely around her shoulders for support as he helped her take unsteady steps toward the sofa in the center of the private suite. He eased her onto the edge of the sofa, stacked a mound of pillows for her on one of the armrests, and helped her lay down.

“Would you like me to get a cold towel?” he asked, leaning over her.

As Shindo looked into her eyes, Narusawa scooped his hand into both of her own and squeezed it tightly. “I’d prefer your hand. It feels so nice and cool...” she replied. Closing her eyes, she rubbed his hand against her cheek. “You have cold hands, just like your cold appearance... But I don’t mean that as the unpleasant sort of cold. It’s wonderfully pleasant...”

She proceeded to kiss the palm of his hand. Ever so slightly, she slipped her tongue between her lips, sliding it from the palm down to the tip of his middle finger.

“For such masculine hands, your long fingers are awfully pretty,” she appraised. Once her tongue reached his fingertip, she lightly nipped the middle finger, firing stimulation from its tip. The whole thing came across suspiciously seductive, but naturally, that was Narusawa’s intent.

Narusawa had her eye on Shindo for quite some time. Already somewhat bored of her attendant, she jumped on the opportunity to go after Shindo when Kurihara expressed interest in Satsuki.

“...I wish you’d love me with these fingers,” she said in an inviting voice that would put any normal man in the mood.

Her beautifully rouge colored, seductive lips wet Shindo’s fingertip with a translucent liquid and drew a thin string as she pulled away. A stunt like this would stimulate any man of Kurihara’s caliber. Narusawa was confident it’d work just as she planned. She was certain she could make this man fall for her.

***

“...STOP! Let...go...!” Satsuki cried, her mind still a jumbled mess from the influx of horrible imagery and thoughts assaulting her brain. She tore at Kurihara’s suit. At least she recovered to the point she was able to try pushing him off.

“What a treat! Are you trying to undress me, Miss Satsuki?” Kurihara leered. Making the most of Satsuki’s desperate struggles, Kurihara slipped his arms out of his suit jacket.

“This is also in the way. Your attire is far too prim and proper!” Kurihara exclaimed in his growing excitement, lifting up a corner of the off-white camisole beneath her ripped school uniform. He pulled it from her porcelain skin so roughly the silky fabric nearly ripped!

“Don’t...!” The lights flickered unnoticeably with her shout.

“Miss Narusawa doesn’t wear these things,” he went on, unaware of the growing static electricity in the air. “I’m sure the silk must feel nice, but I think it’s sexier when your clothes brush against bare skin. As cute as it is for your camisole and bra to match, it isn’t much of a turn on,” he laughed merrily as he pulled down both bra straps under her sailor shirt. Her bra shared the same embroidery design as the camisole.

Satsuki tried to raise her arms to prevent him from lowering them too far, but it did little good.

Her attempt at resistance was so pathetically cute, it filled Kurihara with joy that blinded him to the static shock he received from touching her. “You’re absolutely adorable, Miss Satsuki... Do you titillate Mr. Shindo by acting unwilling?” he mocked. That lucky dog! The way she’s fighting, it’s just like role-playing rape! She’s totally into this! He thought, stupidly believing his actions were “consensual”. There’s no way I could do this with Narusawa. Man, this is gonna be great!

“...That’s...not true...” Satsuki croaked as she desperately tried to close the door to her heart. I don’t want to hear this... I don’t want to see this. I don’t want to feel this! I don’t want to know how humans truly feel! Or see their sick fantasies! Or feel their corrupt energy waves! Or know what’s in their hearts...

“Close the door to your heart,” Shindo always said without fail when it was too much for Satsuki. Whenever the hearts of others were on the verge of hurting her own, Shindo was certain to tell her that.

He would draw a line across his chest with his thumb and say, “Close the door to your heart.”

I bet he’s having a blast with Narusawa about now. I’d better get to having some fun of my own, Kurihara thought.

“...Shindo...?”

Hearing Shindo’s name suddenly slip from Satsuki’s lips, Kurihara assumed she was calling out to him for help. The thought brought a smile to his lips as he loosened his necktie and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.

“Mr. Shindo isn’t coming to save you. I doubt he could come,” Kurihara stressed. Once Narusawa’s sucked him in, she ain’t letting go!

The nauseating image and arousal it spurred enveloped Satsuki’s body. They were filled with such putrid, raw emotion that she truly felt as if she were going to vomit. It sent her mind, which was finally starting to clear, reeling once more.

“Shin...do...” she whimpered.

Where...? Where are you...? Satsuki tried to search for Shindo’s presence with her third eye. But as her mental state deteriorated under terror and confusion, she lost the ability to perform the task that would have come easy to her under normal circumstances.

“Shin...do...? Where...?” she tried to get out. She couldn’t find Shindo... She couldn’t find his mind in the maelstrom of depravity in front of her. This had never happened before.

“No...” she cried. I can’t believe I can’t find Shindo... That bothered her more than the sicko she could blow away if she concentrated.

“You should change partners every so often, Miss Satsuki. Don’t you get bored of doing it with Mr. Shindo all the time?”

Through the well of tears blurring her vision, Satsuki was no longer able to see the lecherous grin Kurihara made before her. The light from the vaulted ceiling struck his hair as he pinned her down, obscuring her vision all the more. Satsuki didn’t even realize what he was doing with her bra as her body convulsed with repulsion against his hideous thoughts and fantasies.

No... she rejected in her thoughts. Why can’t I find Shindo? Why can’t I sense his presence? Shindo...where are you...? Where...are you...?

“No...” she whimpered aloud. Why is this man touching me? Why is he touching my skin? Why is he embracing me...? I only want Shindo to touch me. I only want to be embraced by Shindo.

Shindo was always by Satsuki’s side as her retainer. Needless to say, he would touch her hands, hair, and even her body. There were times he picked her up, and times he held her close. Even if he only did these things as her retainer, they filled her with boundless joy. When Shindo touched her, it filled her with joy as a woman. It didn’t matter if such feelings were forbidden...

She has such pretty skin. Dang, I could eat her up... The man’s thoughts were growing increasingly vulgar. Kurihara was so excited by caressing her curves, it put him on the verge of losing control. He wrote off the charge he felt in the air as an extension of his building excitement.

“Do...not...touch...me...” Satsuki squeezed out a shrill voice—nearly a scream—from her throat. But having lost all self-control, the man caught in his own desires was unable to hear her. He felt another sharp static shock prickle his fingers as he stroked her collarbone, but thoughts of the pleasures ahead relegated it to the back of his mind.

This isn’t Shindo. This person...isn’t Shindo. So why...is he touching me?! Satsuki tried to work it out in her mind without completely losing control of her pulsating powers, but it was a lost battle.

“Don’t touch me!” The moment Satsuki put all of her emotions into screaming at the top of her lungs...

Bang!! The air in the room shook violently as the ceiling lights, knickknacks, and even the desk shattered as if struck by lightning!

“Whaaaaa!” Kurihara cried as his body flung from Satsuki to the wall on the far side of the room with a meaty thwack.

***

A prickly sensation washed over Shindo, making him raise his head on reflex. He was absolutely positive he sensed Satsuki’s aura. The air felt charged.

...Something has happened to her...

“Mr. Shindo? What is it?” Narusawa asked, arching her back to wrap her arms around his neck. With her head buried in his chest, she looked up at him through her fake lashes.

“I’m terribly sorry, but...” Shindo grabbed her arms and silently pried them away as he coolly bowed before continuing his apology, “that is not my duty. I’m going to take my leave now.”

Now that made her hackles rise. She was annoyed he didn’t fall for her seductive wiles. “Aren’t you uptight! Of course, that’s one of the things I love about you. But face it, you’re a man like any other. Would it hurt to submit to your innermost desires once in a while?”

His own emotions coming to mind, Shindo couldn’t help but snort. If he acted on his desires, he could never again serve at Satsuki’s side. There was only one lady in the entire world with whom he wanted to consummate his desires, but he knew he could never have her.

“Am I not your type? At the very least, I’m confident I can satisfy you better than Miss Tsujikawa ever could,” Narusawa quipped.

Shindo sensed this very misunderstanding Narusawa mentioned was going around of late. Perhaps it was inevitable when an adolescent girl was constantly with her young male retainer, but in truth, such rumors hurt his heart. Shindo straightened as he offered Narusawa a bitter smile in return.

“If the Miss said, ‘Sate Miss Narusawa’s needs,’ I would happily undress you. However, she has not given me any such orders,” Shindo clerically rejected her.

“You don’t have to act so loyal. Kurihara is probably showing Miss Tsujikawa a good time as we speak,” Narusawa revealed casually, freezing Shindo to the core.

“Mr. Shindo!” Narusawa cried, sliding from the sofa when he shoved her away.

Kurihara was on his way to Satsuki with the intent to “show her a good time.” The moment Shindo heard those words pop out of Narusawa’s mouth, he turned on his heel to leave. But Narusawa sprang up and reached out for him, latching onto one of his arms. Actually, she barely managed to snatch the hem of his suit’s sleeve.

“It’s too late now! How long do you think it’s been since Kurihara set out? I bet those two are busy ‘enjoying’ themselves as we speak. It’d be uncouth to pry them apart!” Narusawa insisted, believing Satsuki was the same as her.

“Miss Narusawa...” Shindo growled in a threatening voice. With his back turned toward her, he slowly twisted his head to the side to see her through the corner of his gleaming eye. “...Did you order Mr. Kurihara to do this?”

The sound of Shindo’s deadly voice sent Narusawa’s entire body shuddering in fear. But the moment her eyes locked with his, her body froze!

“Mr. Kurihara is your attendant. Is he acting on your orders? Did you tell him to lay his hands on...Miss Satsuki?” he asked in a voice that sounded like it was crawling over gravel. His gaze pierced her like razor-sharp icicles.

Narusawa’s voice caught in her throat, making it impossible to speak in her defense. The suit sleeve she had risen from the sofa to grab slid easily from her stiff fingers.

“If...by the time I get there, anything has come to pass that may taint the Miss...I cannot return him to you in one piece... Is that understood?”

Narusawa couldn’t utter a sound. Needless to say, she couldn’t move a muscle. Her whole body began to tremble instinctively out of fear as if she were stark naked before a serial killer. Turning away from the terrified woman, Shindo darted out of the room.

“What...is that man?!” Narusawa struggled to force the words out of her throat, which came out uneven and tremulous under the weight of her fear.

...He might kill me... Shindo filled Narusawa with a visceral fear that he might just take her life in payment for her actions.

“Oh, he wouldn’t actually...” Narusawa sniffled. Her lips twitched as they pulled into a thin half-smile. “He wouldn’t...”

Her mind went blank. Rather than alarm for Kurihara, she was horrorstruck by the implied threat hanging over her. If her attendant had his way with Tsujikawa, it was unlikely she would walk away unscathed. Although he didn’t say as much, Shindo’s killer eyes made that perfectly clear.

***

TAP... Tap... Tap...

Rustle... Rustle... Rustle...

It all happened in the span of mere seconds... In the blink of an eye, the lights on the vaulted ceiling and the windows shattered into tiny pieces, raining down shards of glass! The desk and furnishings exploded into jagged fragments as if directly struck by lightning! It was as if a mighty gale lifted Kurihara from Satsuki and smashed him against the wall 33 feet away!

“Hahh...! Agh! Nnnnggghhh...” The guttural sounds he made were clearly different from anything that would come from the throat.

As those sounds emanated from Kurihara, his body limply slid down the wall. His body ached all over. His chest felt like it was being whacked with a hammer when he breathed. Did that mean he broke some ribs? When he smacked into the wall, something caught in the back of his throat, blocking his airways. Vomit filled his oral cavity and drizzled out of his half-open mouth.

Between the unexpected shock and sudden internal backflow, Kurihara’s entire body stung as if it were being jabbed by needles. Sparks flew across his blurry vision from a concussion when he struck his head.

...What...the hell...happened...? He recalled pinning down the girl he had set his sights on ages ago. All of the preparations were squared away to revel in the fantastic time of euphoric bliss. And yet...

Hunched on the floor in a position that looked as if he might topple over, Kurihara shifted his gaze to the young woman he tried to turn into the object of his self-gratification. Upon pushing herself up, Satsuki wrapped her arms around her chest in an attempt to cover herself. She was staring at Kurihara with a blank expression, her hair charged by the static in the air.

---

---

The lights and windows shattered and rained down on them. The desk and furnishings exploded. Splinters and chunks went flying throughout the room. But even with his broken body and blurred vision, one thing stood out to Kurihara: Nothing—not so much as a shard or piece of debris—landed anywhere near Satsuki. As if actively avoiding her, the area around Satsuki was completely free of debris.

“...The hell?” Kurihara choked. Why...isn’t there crap around that bitch? What...the hell...happened here, an earthquake...?

Shudder...! Satsuki could feel her body reflexively shudder against her arms. It was disgusting... She didn’t want his hands on her... She didn’t want any man other than Shindo to touch her. It was awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! Awful! And just horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible!

The moment she screamed, “Don’t touch me!” all of those thoughts erupted from every pore of her body! They merged to form a mighty energy wave that made the very air quiver... It was what invited this disaster. He had pushed her to the point she couldn’t keep her powers in check.

I can’t believe only that...woman...escaped unscathed... Kurihara thought, never taking his eyes off Satsuki. His hatred for her grew with each passing moment. Without a scratch, it was as if she was shielded from harm while he was suffering from all of the injuries he sustained.

I’m going through hell over here... How come she’s hunky-dory...? Why isn’t she hurt...? Kurihara inwardly fumed. All his eyes could focus on was her—on the blossoming lady whose torn school dress revealed the body of a woman. Her disheveled black hair fell upon porcelain white skin. This alone made for a sight that was all too enchanting. But in his current state, the sight of Satsuki in such splendor only fueled his hatred.

I’m gonna make you squeal like the friggin’ sow you are...

“Stop...it...” Satsuki whimpered.

Lookin’ at me like you’re somethin’ real special... Didn’t get hurt ‘cause you’re special... That it, huh?

“...No...stop...”

Who the hell do you think you are? A little princess, maybe...? Sluts like you are only good for throwin’ yer body at us sick bastards to bang good ‘n’ hard!

“No!” Satsuki wailed.

Kurihara’s thoughts were flowing into her. His delusions flowed as thoughts, turning into images that diffused throughout her entire body. It felt like she was being torn apart by lust, scorn, and animosity. The combination was throwing her heart into chaos! The final strings of control snapping.

“Please stop it!” Satsuki yelled as she clung at herself with all her might. Her voice created an irregular wave that distorted the air. And then, Kurihara’s body stretched up with a jerk!

“Agh...” He barely managed to get that much through his open mouth. Within the blink of an eye, his blond hair was dyed red. His red hair...was crimson. The liquid that dyed his hair dripped from the tips, staining his buttoned-down shirt. That “liquid” was his own blood...

As blood rushed to his head, the growing pool began to burst from every pore. Finding mere pores insufficient, the blood eventually began erupting from his ears, and even his piercings. The pair of diamond studs popped out in a trickle of blood.

So that’s the deal... This is your doing, huh...? You’re the one tormenting me, aren’t you...? Kurihara managed to think despite the horrible pain. He felt as though the terrifying phenomenon befalling his body was all part of a dream or some kind of natural disaster. In his waning sanity, his eyes bore into Satsuki.

Damn monster...are you doing this...?

“No...” Holding herself tightly, Satsuki was unable to peel her eyes from the sight of Kurihara’s entire body being dyed crimson.

I hope you go to friggin’ hell, you damn monster!

“Stop it...!” Satsuki cried.

Monster. That word resurfaced from the depths of Satsuki’s memories. They were buried long, long ago... She buried them in the innermost depths of her heart because they were such painful memories...

Monster! You aren’t even human!

“No!”

Her heart was going to break... It was stretched taut and these thoughts bore a mighty load. Her mind alone was unable to bear the burden of his depraved human emotions...

Save me... Someone, please save me!

“Shindo!” Satsuki screamed. She had no idea whether her voice managed to properly form his name, but it was the only thing that rose out of her throat. It was the name of her precious person who always supported her when it seemed her heart might...break. When the powers deep within threatened to unleash in terrible ways.

She shuddered under the cacophony of roiling emotion until it finally burst out of her control. The room trembled coldly and sharply with Satsuki’s last scream. An energy wave expanded out toward the man before her like a blade. It lashed at the vermin who tormented her, pushing her mind to the breaking point...

In the assault, there was the deep, dull sound of something splitting open accompanied by the man’s head...soaring through the air...

***

“EEK!” two girls squeaked.

Shindo hadn’t bumped into either of them, but he made such a sight that the two girls making their way up the stairs couldn’t help but cry out in fright. Seeing as these proper, young ladies rarely beheld something as outlandish as a tall man race by them at the fifth-floor landing, the startled squeaks they issued were hardly surprising. All the more so considering the man in question never acted so uncouth before!

“Mr. Shindo?” one of the girls asked, staring after the man in bewilderment as he continued to race down the stairs without pausing to offer an apology for startling them.

“I-I wonder what happened” the other pondered.

The two looked at each other, blinking their eyes in surprise. However, these young ladies lacked any sense of danger. Their puzzled expressions quickly turned to smiles.

“Doesn’t he look wonderful when he’s in a hurry?”

“Absolutely amazing! I love how gallant he is!”

Unfortunately, the cause for Shindo’s urgency was anything but peaceful.

***

IF a man literally lost his head, it was impossible for a fountain of blood to come gushing out. However, all of the blood pooling in Kurihara’s head rushed toward the decapitating wound and erupted out. It splattered all over Satsuki’s head...as if in punishment for unleashing the blade-like energy wave...

The head popped off like a volcano blowing its top. It flew like a ball to the wall on the far side of the room where the arrangements for the school exhibition were on display. The head bounced off the wall and rolled into a vase that was still empty. It remained precariously on its perch, ready to fall at even the slightest touch. The vase it landed on was none other than the one Satsuki was supposed to use the following day.

Warm rain drizzled over her head. It was red rain. Although it didn’t last long, it was enough to dye Satsuki’s body red... It was as if she was garbed in red clothing...

“...Ah...”

Kurihara’s head went flying before her very eyes. An emotion filled with insanity flashed for an instant like a light before vanishing. Satsuki was unable to peel her eyes from the lifeless body of the man that blew its top off.

What is going on...? What is that...? Well, what? Am I responsible for all this? Did I do this...? There was no one to answer her questions. And she couldn’t comprehend the sight before her.

The door to her heart was still open. Unable to close the door, more and more noise seeped through. But in her current state, it remained nothing more than noise.

I did this? I killed him? Me? I killed this man? Is that why...I’m drenched in blood...? Because...I killed him...?

“Ah... Nooooo...” Satsuki realized her body was trembling violently. She just killed that man with powers impossible for any normal person to wield. Now she was dyed red in his blood.

I killed him... Satsuki was unable to process any other thought. Her heart rejected all others.

You damned monster! a voice unburied from the depths of her memories screamed. Go to hell! Freaks like you shouldn’t even exist!

“Stop...” she cried. Her heart pounded so furiously, it felt as though it was about to burst out of her trembling body. She was nauseated and her head throbbed.

Satsuki’s pretty, almond eyes bulged so wide it was a wonder they didn’t pop out. And her mind was filled with nothing but the echoes of reproachful voices torturing her.

Monster! You’re a monster in human’s clothing! You have no right to pretend you’re one of us!

“...No...” Satsuki whimpered. Please stop... Please...I’m begging you...

Her mind had all it could take. It was so painful, she wondered how nice it would be to simply give up and embrace insanity. If she was insane, her extraordinary powers would never trouble her again. But as her heart was about to reach the brink, it latched on to the image of a man. The man who’d protected her ever since she was little. He’d constantly shielded Satsuki from her own powers. Perhaps that was why control failed her when he wasn’t around.

“...Shin...do...”

Miss... the image of Shindo said as he proffered his hand. He offered the gentle smile that was reserved only for her.

“...Shindo...”

Perhaps it was because of him Satsuki made it this far through life without going insane. Or committing the unthinkable.

“Shin...do...”

Her heart was on the verge of breaking. Her mind was about to crumble. But she had someone to protect her through thick and thin, supporting her through it all.

He had promised, “Miss, I will always be at your side.”

Where are you...? Shindo...? Did I take a human life with my powers? If you saw this, what would you say?

All of the warmth suddenly fled from Satsuki’s trembling body. Her heart was consumed by one possibility.

Would you also call me a...“monster”?

Shindo’s smiling face served as the pillar of support for Satsuki’s heart. But she imagined his smile twist as disgust filled his eyes. Then he spat the one word she dreaded most from him: Monster...

Backed into the far corners of sorrow, the wail that escaped from Satsuki sounded as pathetic as a newborn kitten being strangled.

***

“MISS!” Shindo yelled and tried to open the door, shocked by the muffled scream that leaked through the moment he arrived. But the door was locked, barring his entry. Fortunately, Satsuki gave him a spare key to the room “in case of emergencies” when she started coming here regularly as a member of the Student Council. He quickly pulled the key out of its case and unlocked the door. The moment he stormed into the room, he froze in place!

“What...in the...?” his voice came out trembling. He slammed the door shut behind him.

The inside lacked so much as a trace of the once tidy Student Council Room. From the table and chairs to the shelving, pictures and paintings, everything was broken, smashed, or crushed. Not even the furnishings were spared. The body of a man was leaning against the wall. However, it was missing everything from the neck up.

Upon quickly scanning the room, Shindo found the head—its face contorted into the most horrible expression in the world—stuck in an empty vase. Its eyes were rolled up with its mouth hanging wide open like a slack-jawed fool. Its red tongue dangled limply out of the mouth. The tiny gust of air created by shutting the door rocked the head, knocking it from the vase. The object rolled across the floor.

Shindo found Satsuki huddled in on herself as if trying to avoid getting hit by the glass shards and debris. As he slowly made his way to her, it became evident her clothing had been ripped from her chest. As if trying to cover her normally porcelain-white skin, her arms were held across her bosom as she shrunk in on herself. Her eyes were glued on her feet. Even though they were open, they were vacant, her expression empty.

“Miss...?” Shindo softly called out to her. Satsuki’s entire body jumped violently at the sound. Her expression unchanged, she raised her dead eyes to look at Shindo. The moment his face entered her vision, tears sprung from her eyes. They fell from her cheeks like waterfalls.

“Shin...do...” Satsuki’s voice came out vacant and scratchy; her body was as crimson as if she were dressed in red.

Shindo fell to one knee before Satsuki and began combing her tussled hair with both hands. His voice catching in his throat, he apologized, “...I am...so sorry...”

Placing his hands upon her bloody shoulders, he dropped his head in apology. “This is all my fault for leaving your side...” It was impossible to discern whether the trembling in his voice came from anger or sadness. “I can’t apologize enough...”

“Shin...do... I...killed...” Satsuki managed to force her words—choppy and broken—to that point before Shindo pulled her towards his chest and held her tight.

Squeezing Satsuki so tightly in his arms she couldn’t speak, Shindo continued his apology in a quivering voice, “I am sorry...Miss...for making you...endure that nightmare.”

All he could do was protectively hold the young girl drenched in blood.

“...I wanted to kill him instead...” he whispered in a voice trembling with hatred and anger.

***

“EVERYTHING! Restore it all!” Shindo barked. It was probably the first time he ever issued orders in such a manner.

“I want everything from the desk down to the furnishings, even the damn flowers for the arrangements—everything—put back the way it was!” Shindo raised his voice. He’d already made the directive loud and clear, so it was grating when a subordinate called for confirmation.

But he mustn’t allow Satsuki hear him yell. Reminding himself as much, he drew forth a mental image of the young lady and took deep breaths as he tried to soothe his temper. Once he achieved a level of calm, he resumed speaking into the cell phone.

“Do it within the day. Make sure nothing seems amiss if someone enters the Student Council Room tomorrow. Don’t let anyone in until you’re done. Don’t let anyone look inside. I’ve contacted the school chairman. Five lawyers on retainer are already on the case. The only thing you have to worry about is making the Student Council Room look like it did before,” Shindo directed in his usual calm voice and hung up. The moment the cell phone was safely in his suit pocket, he heaved a heavy sigh.

The inside of Tsujikawa’s private suite was filled with nothing but the barely audible sound of water coming from the shower room. Satsuki was there at the moment. She was rinsing off the downpour of filth that covered her entire body.

***

CONFRONTED with the ravaged Student Council Room and Satsuki on the brink of insanity, it took every ounce of self-control to suppress the rage boiling inside Shindo.

He found Satsuki with her clothes torn. Hugging flesh dyed red by the blood of the man who assaulted her, she was trembling in fear and despair as she caved in on herself. If Shindo had arrived even a moment later...he had no doubt she would have turned into something no longer truly human.

Shindo was filled with indescribable rage toward the man who tormented her. It didn’t matter if the bastard was no longer among the living. So what if he was like a broken toy with its head pulled off! But right now, he needed to focus on Satsuki and the repairs for this disaster scene.

Shindo came before the long table covered in the remnants of flowers that were once decorative flower arrangements. With a mighty yank, he pulled off the white satin cloth spread across it. All of the debris toppled to the floor. With a few whips in the air, he was able to shake out the glass shards caught in the material.

On his way back to Satsuki, Shindo noticed the man’s head bobbing at his feet. Fighting the temptation to stomp on it took all of his willpower. His next course of action was to take Satsuki to the safety of her private suite. He wanted to avoid touching her with a body sullied by the dead. He forbade himself to touch Satsuki’s body and heart with tainted hands. It was a self-imposed rule, going back to that incident...

Filled with the urge to spit words of hatred, Shindo had to bite his lip to hold his tongue. In a display of releasing unvoiced disgust, he grabbed the nearby semblance of a vase and bashed it into the head! For all its weight, the vase cracked over the man’s head...and split in two. It left a massive gouge in the scumbag’s face, but already drained of all its liquids, there was no blood left to flow out.

Averting his eyes from the “junk,” he carefully made his way to the trembling young lady. Unfurling the satin cloth, he draped it over her head.

“Please bear with me a little longer,” he said and scooped Satsuki into his arms. He wrapped her in the cloth and peeked through the Student Council Room door to ensure the coast was clear before slipping out. Locking the door behind him, Shindo prayed they didn’t run into anyone as he rushed to the Tsujikawa private suite on the fifth floor.

Fortunately, the two reached the private suite without being noticed. Once there, Shindo sat Satsuki down on the floor in the shower room.

“Let’s just worry about washing that blood off for now,” Shindo gently spoke to her. He grabbed the handheld showerhead, set the temperature panel to something on the lukewarm side, and turned the shower knob. A strong, yet not jolting, stream of warm water sprung from the showerhead.

Sitting on the floor where he put her, the warm water rained down over Satsuki’s head. The cloth billowing around her quickly grew saturated with the warm water, altering its form to cling tightly around her body.

“I’m going to gather fresh clothes...” Shindo said in a flat voice. Finding himself mesmerized by the sight of her, he had to consciously peel his eyes away as he made his way out.

“Shin...do...” The sound of Satsuki’s sorrowful voice mixed with the shower water brought him to a halt. Glancing back at her over his shoulder, he found that she was looking at him over her shoulder with teary eyes.

Shindo wanted to stay with her for as long as she desired. But for her sake, there were things he needed to do. Not to mention...

Wet in the shower with skin donned in water droplets, Satsuki gave an air of beauty unlike any he had ever seen before. He couldn’t bear to remain in her presence.

“I will return momentarily...” He broke his eyes away from her and rushed out of the shower room.

Once he was a reasonable distance away, he contacted one of his subordinates stationed at Tsujikawa mansion. Without offering any explanation, he issued the orders to “Put the Student Council Room at school back in proper order. It is a matter of great consequence to the Miss.” All of Shindo’s subordinates were Satsuki’s attendants. If he said it was for her, they would do anything.

After completing that call, Shindo proceeded to contact Mizuno, who served as the head butler for the Tsujikawa residence. From there, he called the five lawyers the Tsujikawa’s kept on retainer. He asked Mizuno to look after Satsuki once they returned home and requested the five lawyers to contend with the school and external affairs.

The fact that Satsuki was hurt and could bring harm to others must never come to light, no matter the cost. His resolution solid, he exercised the full extent of his authority under the Tsujikawa name, bequeathed to him by Master Tsukasa as Satsuki’s retainer.

After finishing the last of his phone calls, he grabbed a spare uniform kept on hand in the closet and pulled spare undergarments out of the built-in closet drawers. Although they were merely undergarments, they weren’t simply stuffed in the drawers, but individually wrapped in silk cloth.

When first preparing the private suite at the school for Satsuki, Shindo personally ordered they be wrapped in such a manner. That way, if a third party broke in and vandalized the room, the villain’s eyes wouldn’t immediately fly to her underwear. But in truth, it might also have been partially for himself.

***

FOR over half an hour, the barely audible sound of the shower continued. Figuring it was about time he brought Satsuki her clothes, Shindo was suddenly struck by the realization that he didn’t hear any splashing. All he heard was the spray of water from the showerhead. But whenever a person moved in the shower, water was bound to make at least a little noise!

Shindo put down the clothes in the changing room outside the shower. Standing in front of the clouded glass door, he called, “Miss? Are you all right?”

No response. There was nothing but the sound of water.

“Miss?” Shindo tried again. He knew good and well she was inside. He could barely make out the figure of a person through the clouded glass.

“Forgive the intrusion, Miss,” he said and quietly opened the door.

Satsuki had not budged an inch, sitting on the floor exactly as he first left her under the drizzling shower. But the cloth that once embraced her body was now on the shower floor, billowing on the currents of warm water. Satsuki probably allowed the shower to pound on her this whole time as she sat unmoving, her back facing the door. It washed away all of the crusty blood that once covered her body like clothing.

Thoroughly drenched, Satsuki’s pitch-black hair shined with greater radiance than ever as it clung like silk to her white skin. The pelts of shower water turned into droplets against her flawless, porcelain-white skin as they slowly slid down. Even a view of her from the back was truly beautiful...absolutely breathtaking...and terribly sensual.

“...!”

Feeling a heavy weight in his heart, Shindo turned his whole head away to avert his eyes and was about to shut the glass door. But he was stopped by the sound of Satsuki’s voice.

“Come here...” she bade.

Every muscle in Shindo’s hand tightened. Satsuki’s voice mercilessly backed him into a corner. “Come here...Shindo...”

If his mistress ordered him to come, Shindo had no choice but to obey. He proceeded to enter the shower room and stood at Satsuki’s side.

“Come in front of me...where I can see you...” Satsuki said weakly, apparently still unable to face reality.

Kneeling on both knees before her, Shindo looked down upon Satsuki. His suit started to grow wet under the shower’s lukewarm water.

“Look...at...me...” Satsuki said as she slowly raised her head to meet Shindo’s gaze. “Am I weird...? Strange...?”

He couldn’t pull away from her eyes made moist with tears. Those wet eyes that could see through anything held him transfixed as they begged for help.

“I...” Satsuki choked out. She was filled with paralyzing fear at the thought Shindo wouldn’t answer.

But Shindo looked at her with such kindness it was pitiful before he placed his fingertips on both of her cheeks.

“No, you aren’t,” he answered and offered Satsuki his usual smile. “Nothing about you has changed. You are still my brilliant and beautiful Miss Satsuki.”

Among the cascade of droplets, some slid down Satsuki’s cheeks. It was as if the shower water was hiding the tears she shed.

“...Shin...do... It hurts...” she whimpered.

“Huh?” he gasped. Where does she hurt? If that bastard went the whole way, so help me—Wait, aside from the suit jacket, his body was fully clothed.

While Shindo was reeling in confusion, Satsuki tilted her head to one side and somewhat embarrassedly pulled aside the hair covering her bosom exposed by her ripped clothes. He feared the gasp that escaped his unwitting lips may have reached Satsuki’s ears.

It was clear the reason why her cheeks were flushed wasn’t due to prolonged exposure to the lukewarm shower water. The marks extended from her left ear, tracing her neck down to the collarbone. The purple-red bruises made for a horrible sight against her otherwise porcelain skin.

“It hurts...” Satsuki whispered in a tiny voice.

Shindo realized the scumbag probably made those hickeys when he was about to rape Satsuki. And now they were hurting her.

“I...can still feel his lips slathering all over me... I can still feel his weight pinning me to the ground...” Satsuki repined on the verge of breaking into tears.

“Make it go away...” she ordered with flushed cheeks, her sad eyes piercing. “Make his weight...go away...”

Shindo sat upon the floor like Satsuki and gathered her hair together with trembling fingers. He placed his hands on the cuff of either shoulder, and then...Shindo gently kissed Satsuki behind her left ear.

Twitch... For a brief second, her whole body quivered slightly. As if tracing over the red-purple hickeys, Shindo lightly slid his lips along the curvature of her neck. Upon reaching the stopping point at her collarbone, he began to retrace his steps back up.

Her whole body jolted, trembling as if it were quivering at his touch. It was nothing like when she was trembled out of shock or cold. This was clearly the quivering unique to when she was being satisfied as a woman.

Shindo wrapped his arms around her waist as he laid her against the shower room floor and laid on top of her. With his body on hers, he caressed Satsuki’s head with both hands before kissing fiercely along her neck this time.

“...Mmm...ph...” The sad, nasal sound that instinctively came from Satsuki sent quivers running through Shindo this time. Although it should go without saying, he had never heard Satsuki make such a sound before, even after spending nearly eighteen years at her side.

“Shin...do...” Satsuki breathed his name as she wrapped her arms around his back. The showerhead pelted warm water upon him.

“Shindo...” As her sweet, happy voice reverberated throughout his body, filling him with agony, Shindo had to desperately fend off the sadness that filled his heart. By saturating Satsuki’s body with the sensation of his own weight, he overwrote the pain she suffered with new pain.

“Miss...” he whispered.

The downpour of shower water soaked them in its wet embrace. The sound of the water drowned out their hushed whispers. It almost seemed as if the water was trying to wash away their hearts on the verge of truly becoming one. As if it was trying to prevent them from ever interlocking. The shower’s warm water tried to wash away their feelings for one another as it drowned the whispers—the words that spilled from their lips—in the sound of its drizzle.

“Does...does it still hurt?” Shindo asked after a while. He pulled away from Satsuki’s neck, his cheeks flushed as he gazed upon her.

“No...” Satsuki answered with a smile that was both embarrassed and sad. “It doesn’t hurt anymore... You made the pain go away, Shindo...”

Her arms still wrapped around him, she grasped tightly onto the back of his sopping wet suit.

“All I can feel...is your weight... And that’s all I want to feel...” she added.

“Miss...”

Satsuki clung tightly to Shindo and began sobbing.

“Thank you...Shindo...” she whispered, her fingers clinging onto Shindo so tightly it looked as if they might break.

***

SOMEONE tried to assassinate the president of Tsujikawa Corporation’s only daughter. A bomb planted by the culprit resulted in one fatality. The company would lose face if the public heard about the death of a bystander. With that in mind, they humbly requested the situation remain confidential... Between the lawyers and attendants pulling all of their strings, the “bombing” at the school’s Student Council Room never received mass media coverage.

It was believed this incident was brought to a close with the life of a man who allowed lust to consume him. However, Narusawa Holdings’ stock prices crashed shortly thereafter, putting the company in crisis. As everyone frantically tried to determine the cause for the crash, perhaps Satsuki Narusawa expected it as she trembled in fear.

Everything disappeared into the darkness. Along with Satsuki’s heart, everything was hurled into the thick cloying fog of war...